Just one morning of volunteering made a permanent difference in Kebun Baru.
On the 13th of May 2017, volunteers from Kebun Baru and CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School participated in a litter-picking exercise with MP Kwek Hian Chuan Henry. One of the toughest places to clean was in front of one of the coffeeshops, where there was a shallow trench, filled with beer bottle-caps and cigarette butts.
MP Kwek posted on his Facebook: “To our surprise, after we were done, the coffee shop boss came to me, and volunteered to renovate the surroundings, so that the bottle-caps and cigarette butts cannot accumulate, and told me that he will get his staff to keep the place clean moving forward.”
MP Kwek noted that the owner had not done so when he visited the coffeeshop previously. It was probably the volunteers’ persistence that touched the owner, and caused him to reflect on the situation.
MP Kwek said, “Sometimes, as volunteers, we wonder whether we can end up bettering our society, especially in the face of deeply set attitudes. Will our efforts end up as a drop in the ocean?I believe we must persist in our efforts, for once the tipping point is reached, things change. Afterall, what is an ocean but a multitude of water drops?”