SINGAPORE - At a void deck in the heart of Lengkok Bahru, one name can often be heard every evening as people gather there.
“Kak Marlina”, residents call out endearingly as they queue to collect free groceries, to ensure their families do not go hungry.
They are referring to Madam Marlina Yased, 46, whom they regard fondly and address as “elder sister” in Malay.
Madam Marlina started the community fridge initiative in May 2023 after hearing countless stories of her neighbours not having enough food to put on the table, particularly among families with school-going children.
Having experienced her own financial struggles after a divorce 15 years ago, the mother of five children empathised with their worries about feeding their children.
There were days when she could give only condensed milk mixed with water to her children, who are now aged between 10 and 27.
“Food insecurity is real here in Lengkok Bahru,” she said about the estate of highly subsidised Housing Board rental flats. “There are many families that live from pay cheque to pay cheque, and sometimes they really don’t have enough to last until the next payday. I know how it feels.”
She started the community fridge with the help of Beyond Social Services, a charity dedicated to helping children and youth from less privileged backgrounds. It linked her with donors who were willing to sponsor groceries for the fridge.
Madam Marlina works as a community worker at a social service agency, but she started the community fridge and volunteers to help her neighbours of her own volition.
Madam Marlina is a finalist for the Singaporean of the Year award, organised by The Straits Times. The award is given to a Singaporean or a group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society. This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.
The award, now in its 10th year, is presented by UBS Singapore.
At the Lengkok Bahru community fridge, families can collect groceries such as vegetables and frozen meat every Monday to Saturday, between 5pm and 8pm, from Madam Marlina or her volunteers.
Each family can collect a fixed amount of groceries every month. Every morning, around 40 children living in the neighbourhood go to the community fridge to get a free packet of milk or Milo before they go to school.
The fridge used to serve 30 families every month in front of Madam Marlina’s two-room rental flat, where she lives with her husband and four of her children. It now serves 50 families monthly at the void deck, where it has been relocated due to fire hazard concerns at the previous site.
Before the fridge was moved to the void deck in September, some people felt too shy to walk to Madam Marlina’s home to get the help they needed, she said.
“Now that it is in a communal place, I am starting to see many more new faces, which makes me happy,” said Madam Marlina, who has not had to fork out money from her own pocket as the donors, who prefer to be anonymous, have been able to cover everything.
While she started the community fridge to feed hungry tummies, Madam Marlina had also hoped the project would help her get to know her neighbours better. Both goals have been achieved.
Through the fridge, she got closer to one of her neighbours, 25-year-old Nurul Jannah Jumari.
Ms Jannah, a mother of five who is currently unemployed, once texted Madam Marlina a photo of some fried rice she had cooked. The accompanying message said: “Because of your rations, I can give my family hot food today.”
Ms Jannah is now one of about eight volunteers helping Madam Marlina with the community fridge. The volunteers take turns going to the fridge every evening to meet beneficiaries.
“Everyone has their highs and lows in life. There are times I don’t have any money. With (Madam Marlina’s) rations, I get to feed my kids another day,” she said.
“Around this neighbourhood, everyone knows who Kak Marlina is, and they know that she is someone with good intentions. I want her to continue what she is doing and to help more people,” she added.
Moving forward, Madam Marlina hopes to work with an organisation to open a sick bay in the neighbourhood for children.
For families that live from hand to mouth, sustaining an income is important and missing work is detrimental.
Madam Marlina hopes to work with her neighbours, who may be unemployed for various reasons, to take care of these sick children.
“When kids get sick in school, their parents often have to find ways to fetch their child from the school sick bay, even if they have work,” she said.
The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year (SOTY) is an award that is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society. This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.
Organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore, the annual award is now in its 10th year. The official airline partner is Singapore Airlines and the global hotel partner is Millennium Hotels and Resorts.
- Go to str.sg/soty24nominate
- Submit your nomination by Dec 31, 2024
- For more info on SOTY, go to https://www.straitstimes.com/soty24
- $20,000 cash
- One pair of Singapore Airlines business class tickets for each individual/group, up to three pairs of tickets for the winning group
- A five-night stay in any of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for the winning group
- $5,000 cash for each individual/group
- One pair of Singapore Airlines economy class tickets for each individual/group, up to a maximum of three pairs for each group of finalists
- A three-night stay in one of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for each finalist.