Meet Mrs Wee, the founder of Evergreen Group. At 82 years old, she is redefining what it means to live with purpose, resilience, and impact. What began as a humble stationery business in 1973 has since evolved into a mission-driven health enterprise focused on water-based wellness solutions. Driven by personal health challenges and the loss of several loved ones to chronic illnesses, Mrs Wee channelled her background in biology and decades of business experience into promoting natural healing—starting with one of life’s most overlooked essentials: water.
Through her unwavering belief in the body’s self-healing abilities and the power of functional water, she has helped countless individuals—from late-stage cancer patients to everyday Singaporeans—regain their vitality and hope. Today, Evergreen’s water-based wellness technology stands as a beacon of preventive care and holistic health education in Singapore’s growing wellness landscape. This is a story of purpose, passion, and the power of transformation—one drop at a time.
What inspired you to expand from stationery business into the health and wellness sector?
I have a background in biology from Nanyang University. Back then, as a Chinese-educated graduate, we had limited job opportunities due to our poor English. So, when my brother-in-law, who owned a bookshop, suggested I start a stationery shop, I took the chance. I transformed his bookshop into a stationery business as books were too diverse.
I started my stationery business in 1973. It wasn’t easy at all. We had very little capital left after the renovation and set-up, so it was extremely tough at the beginning. Business was slow and we had to put in a lot of effort—waking up as early as 3 or 5 a.m. and working till 10 or 11 p.m.
I started my business at the age of 30 and worked for about 35 years until I turned 65. By then, my health was already deteriorating. Work and stress had taken a toll on my body.
I was especially worried because four of my family members had died of cancer. One of them was my niece—only a little over one year old when she was diagnosed. This made me realise it wasn’t just environmental factors, but likely genetics.
My mother also developed dementia in her seventies. I was concerned because I’d always had poor memory and feared I might end up like her. I also saw close friends and ex-classmates suffer—one even sold his apartment to afford treatment, but it was too late.
When I was 65, my health issues became a wake-up call. My brother, who also had cancer, shared with me many plans and ideas. He knew there was no cure for him but continued researching. It was painful to watch. That’s when I started exploring solutions through nutrition and food, never expecting that water would be the answer.
One day during a course, I met a friend who specialised in water research. He told me that in Japan and Korea, hospitals used alkaline and hydrogen water to help patients with chronic illnesses. Diabetic patients saw improvements in their conditions just by drinking this water. Elderly patients saw improvements in digestion after drinking it.
Curious, I decided to give it a try. During that time, about 67 people had tried it but no one believed in it. I tried it for three months. I had been extremely fatigued, even dozing off while standing. I didn’t even dare to drive. After trying the water, my energy improved. That was my turning point.
But the most important thing is—no matter what kind of business you start, the beginning is always hard. You must be ready to go through a period of struggle and trial and error. Don’t give up just because you fail once.
Can you share a success story where your water wellness solution made a significant transformation in someone’s life?
One of our earliest success stories was a cleaning lady with late-stage cervical cancer. She was so poor she wanted to give up one of her six children for adoption. One of our partners donated a water machine to her for three months. She was undergoing her second round of chemotherapy, had mouth ulcers, hair loss, and couldn’t eat. But after three months of drinking the water, her cancer cells were gone. Her story was reported in the Malaysian newspapers.
At 65, I had many issues—skin conditions, insomnia, difficulty walking. Today, I can walk quickly, go up and down stairs pain-free. I even took an AI-based health test that showed over 200 health markers improved just 40 minutes after drinking six to eight glasses of the water. Previously, people had to wait three months for a hospital report to track progress. Now, you can get data almost immediately.
There are many other cases, like a recent one where a couple drank the water for two weeks and their insomnia improved, mood lifted, and stress reduced.
Oxidative stress, caused by chemicals, processed foods, and environmental toxins, leads to ageing and chronic diseases. Our body shows signs when there’s a blockage—poor circulation, lack of nutrients, and oxidation. Chronic diseases are not just “diseases” but signals of internal imbalance. Medicine can’t solve it because medication is also a toxin. You need to detox, heal the cells, and restore balance for the organs to function well again.
Of course, if you are unwell, you should still consult a doctor. Our products are intended to serve as preventive measures and can also be used to improve certain chronic conditions.
There are some arguments surrounding alkaline and hydrogen water. How would you like to address that?
In those days, most people believed tap water or filtered water was sufficient. Then came a trend of ultra-pure water—reverse osmosis, which removes all minerals. But our water retains minerals and is alkaline, which caused a lot of controversy.
People questioned how alkaline water could survive stomach acid. But we saw real-life improvements—blood pressure stabilised, and even a long-term diabetic patient at NUH, after extensive research, chose our machine and saw improvements over time. He was a data-driven person and shared his reports with us, showing improvements in blood sugar, weight, and energy.
You’re 82 this year and still active in managing the business. What drives you to keep going?
First, we are lacking in manpower. Second, I’m someone who needs to stay active and keep learning. I don’t like staying idle.
What are some of the challenges you face while scaling your business?
Managing a stationery business is difficult. At one point, we had over 70,000 SKUs—not including colour variants. My ERP consultant told me it was over a million SKUs if you include variations. We’ve reduced it to around 20,000 now. We supply both retail and offices, and each sector requires different products.
Selling water is even harder than stationery. With stationery, if a product suits the customer, they buy it. With water, we have to educate people. People assume medication is the only solution. But the body has self-healing power. My goal is to help people understand that while medication is necessary for serious conditions, in the early stages, water should be the first step—to cleanse, restore, and prepare the body. After that, nutrition and medication can follow, if needed.
I was inspired by the belief that this could help many people. When I saw news articles of people undergoing chemotherapy, and the elderly in wheelchairs lined up in rows—it was heartbreaking. One elderly man used to exercise regularly, but now uses a wheelchair. I tried to share about our water-wellness technology, but his wife wasn’t open. Later, he told me he felt useless. But I believe with AI and the right mindset, there’s still hope. We must face life with optimism.
What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs today?
Entrepreneurship today is very different. With AI and social media, young people have more tools and opportunities. But the most important thing is—no matter what kind of business you start, the beginning is always hard. You must be ready to go through a period of struggle and trial and error. Don’t give up just because you fail once. Don’t keep switching to something easier. Learn from each experience and find solutions.
It’s about persistence, patience, and problem-solving. That’s how success is built.
What’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
Singapore will face a serious manpower shortage. That’s why we must quickly embrace and leverage AI technology to solve our challenges. The way businesses operate will also change—more will go online. The past models of success no longer apply, but the spirit of perseverance and hard work from earlier generations can still inspire us.
Connect with Mrs Wee: WaterSource and Evergreen.
Mrs Wee is a member of Rainmaker, a revolutionary movement that rallies like-minded people together based on the values of Love, Authenticity, Respect, Kindness and Youthfulness (LARKY).
Health Advice Disclaimer
The information provided on this platform is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical consultation, advice, or treatment from a qualified healthcare provider.
In Singapore, all health-related content is to be understood as general wellness information and not a substitute for medical consultation. Individuals are encouraged to seek advice from a registered medical practitioner under the Ministry of Health (MOH) before making any healthcare decisions.
