Wanting to give his community a reason to gather, one man organised a free soup kitchen event that has won hearts \u2014 online and offline.<\/p>\n
Ngoh Shian Bang, a photojournalist at Lianhe Zaobao, held his inaugural soup kitchen event during dinner time on May 30, at the void deck<\/a> of Block 162 Tampines Street 12.<\/p>\n Mr Ngoh told Stomp that one of the reasons for organising the event \u2014 named Kampong Soup Kitchen \u2014 was the observation that people were disconnected in real life.<\/p>\n \u201cEven when there are shared spaces like void decks<\/a>, hawker centres<\/a>, libraries and community centres, people may still need a reason to pause, sit down and talk,\u201d the 32-year-old explained.<\/p>\n Hence, he came up with the idea of a free soup kitchen event as a \u201clow-pressure reason\u201d for the community to gather.<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone had a bad day, felt lonely, went through a breakup, lost a job, or simply wanted somewhere to be, they could come down and have a bowl of soup,\u201d Mr Ngoh said.<\/p>\n Planning itself took a few weeks, as Mr Ngoh had to seek Tampines Town Council\u2019s approval to rent the void deck and go through the necessary steps required in event planning: managing registrations, sourcing equipment, and creating the menu, among other logistical matters.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cooking itself took close to 20 hours,\u201d the photojournalist said, adding that he had work before the event and had to plan everything around his schedule. \u201cIt was tiring, but I wanted to make sure the food was prepared properly and not treated as an afterthought just because the event was free.\u201d<\/p>\n Thankfully, many attendees volunteered to help with the preparation, cooking and clean up \u2014 which they indicated through the event registration form.<\/p>\n Mr Ngoh and his team of volunteers.<\/p>\n PHOTO: TOV.IE\/INSTAGRAM<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe event may have started with me cooking, but it definitely did not end that way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr Ngoh told Stomp that the atmosphere was \u201cwarm\u201d, with some from the 40 odd participants coming from other parts of Singapore, including the West, to participate.<\/p>\n \u201cAt one point, the void deck felt less like a pass-through space and more like a shared dining room,\u201d Mr Ngoh opined.<\/p>\n Mr Ngoh prepared one meat and one vegetarian soup:<\/p>\n He was transparent in informing participants that while he used halal ingredients, the soups were prepared in a non-halal-certified kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cMoving forward, I would like to make the event more meaningfully halal-friendly<\/a>, and I am trying to understand the \u2018sertu\u2019 process better so Muslim friends and neighbours can feel more included and comfortable participating,\u201d said Mr Ngoh. \u2018Sertu\u2019 is the Islamic process of cleansing cutlery, surfaces, clothing and the body of major impurities.<\/p>\n Mr Ngoh shared more about the experience on popular subreddit r\/Singapore, where his post has already garnered 5,900 upvotes and 191 comments<\/a>.<\/p>\n Redditors were full of praises for Mr Ngoh\u2019s initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you Bang! Was one of the participants at the event and absolutely enjoyed it!\u201d wrote one netizen.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess we all can call you Souperman? Nice job getting this up!\u201d praised another.<\/p>\n \u201cYour warmth and compassion is much needed in these times OP,\u201d said one well wisher.<\/p>\n Some offered suggestions that Mr Ngoh could adopt in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly write in to your MP to ask whether you can waive rental cost in the future for such events due to the small scale and the community benefit it brings.<\/p>\n \u201cHelps you save some money which you can use for ingredients,\u201d wrote one Redditor.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could slowly expand and work with nearby Active Aging Center and other NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) and TC\/RC (Town Council and Residents\u2019 Committee) events too,\u201d suggested another.<\/p>\n Elderly attendees were also present.<\/p>\n PHOTO: TOV.IE\/INSTAGRAM<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Following his soup kitchen debut \u2014 which cost a total of $89.38 \u2014 the photojournalist affirmed that he would do it again \u201cwith the support and approval of the town council\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope to improve the format, reach more older residents through offline outreach, and make the event more inclusive and sustainable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nBringing his idea to life<\/h2>\n
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Making the event as inclusive as he can<\/h2>\n
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\u2018Bringing back the kampung spirit\u2019<\/h2>\n
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