Kampung spirit in Tampines hailed

Over 100 volunteers went door to door in the blistering heat on a Saturday morning distributing rice bags.

Volunteer Goh Su Mei Angeline, 35, distributing rice bags to tenants of rental flats with her children aged four and nine. (Photo: Esther Leong)

Four hundred and sixty-eight rental households in Tampines North received a five-kg bag of rice and a $20 NTUC Fairprice voucher on the morning of June 20, as part of a volunteer initiative by the Tampines grassroots organisations.

A total of 110 volunteers turned up for the fourth annual rice distribution to distribute the items to the doors of 468 households living in one- and two-room rental homes in five blocks: 441, 442, 466, 471 and 499C.

The rice bags were purchased by the People's Action Party (PAP) Tampines North branch while Sian Chay Medical Institution, a charitable organisation that provides free and low cost Traditional Chinese Medicine for the community, generously contributed the NTUC Fairprice vouchers.

Grassroots adviser for Tampines GRC, Mr Baey Yam Keng, joined the volunteers in distributing the items.

Besides reaching out to the less fortunate and alleviating hunger through rice distribution, this year's event had a strong objective to connect and encourage different groups of people to come together to assist the needy.

“This annual exercise is to provide an opportunity for people who want to do something,” Mr Baey said. “It’s to seed this spirit of doing a part for the community.”

Tampines resident and retiree Hawa Binte Ahmad, 65, who lives in a one-room rental flat with her son, said she was happy and grateful to receive the donation. “It's very helpful. I eat rice every day,” said Madam Hawa in Malay.

Singaporeans have been bemoaning the loss of neighbourliness –the kampung spirit in our communities, and have argued passionately for its revival.

Mr Baey noted that many people have the desire to do good but do not know how. He feels that it is essential to disseminate details of the activities and proactively engage these volunteers.

“Sometimes people are just waiting there, they don’t have access to information and they do not know what’s being arranged. That’s why they can’t be part of it,” said Mr Baey.

Although some children did not have the strength to carry the five-kg rice bags, their parents brought them along to expose them to community work.

Homemaker Goh Su Mei Angeline, 35, who was one of the volunteers, brought along her children, aged four and nine, to distribute rice bags to tenants of rental flats.

Ms Goh said: “I enjoy helping others. Not only am I able to help others and have family bonding time, my children can use this opportunity to learn something new about people. This serves as a reminder to us of how fortunate we are.”

Ms Goh is no stranger to community work. She started volunteering for various non-profit organisations 15 years ago and still does so when she has free time.

She volunteers at the monthly free haircut for lower income families and weekly Meet-the-People sessions (MPS) held in Tampines as well.

The event's organising chairman Fu Zitian said: “It’s good to see residents from the community coming down and doing some good deeds for their fellow residents in need.”

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