Many compromises that we make, such as eating at a hawker centre instead of going to a restaurant, may seem like unfortunate circumstances that we do not like to be caught in, but in the perspective of the destitute, a humble plate of $2 nasi lemak can be ethereal.
This morning, we participated in a CIP titled Project Minyak, where volunteers were tasked to visit one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Singapore, that consisted of the Jalan Minyak, Jalan Kukoh and York Hill estates. Most of the blocks were one-room rental flats, and the demographic of the residents varied vastly - the elderly (especially those without children), the injured & disabled(physically, mentally), ex-convicts, drug abusers etc. This experience opened my eyes and helped shed some light on the complex social issues that are somewhat hidden yet largely prevalent in our thriving nation.
Something that saddened me greatly were the pre-paid electricity meters positioned at the exterior of the flats, they're basically an implementation by Singapore Power that allows for pay-per-use usage of electricity because some households are unable to pay their monthly electricity bills on time(resulting in frequent power cuts). This restricts residents to having to buy tokens that contain cash value, and slotting them into the meters in order to consume electricity. And the sad reality is that most of the meters showed credit amounts of less than $10, and one even displayed $0.01. Sure, this scheme will allow SP to collect payments timely but it's kind of depressing having to constantly check the meter outside the house, and thinking, "should I switch off the fridge for today, or be shrouded in darkness for the rest of the month because I can't afford to pay to top-up my credits for utilities?"
It was extremely humbling as we went around interviewing the residents to understand about their lives and the problems that they faced. Some were burdened by injuries and health problems that restricted them from getting stable jobs, while others were barely coping by living off their savings and handouts from welfare groups and the government.
An elderly man shared that his failing vision caused him to lose his job as a chef, and he has to wait 3 months for an eye surgery before he could start looking for a job. However, he still had a jovial disposition and shared that childless people like him had to do what they had to do to get by. Besides cooking, his favourite pastime was light drinking with friends, and somehow that brought a smile to my face. Optimism and unwavering determination even in the face of tough times.
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