Singaporean serves up free soup at Tampines HDB void deck to connect people: 'Most may not know their neighbours well'

A Tampines resident turned a neighborhood void deck into a hub of community spirit on Saturday (May 30), serving up free bowls of soup to foster closer bonds among neighbours. 

Organised by photojournalist Ngoh Shian Bang, the Kampong Soup Kitchen event was aimed at reviving the kampong spirit right in the heartlands, creating a space for residents to slow down and reconnect. 

The 31-year-old posted about his initiative in a Reddit post on Sunday, after reading and thinking about socially isolated individuals in today's context where there are many ways to connect.

He then took the advice of a netizen, who had previously organised a potluck at their void deck, that he should reach out to his town council since rental costs for private venues would cost him from $600 to $900, excluding logistics and food costs.

He emailed his town council and to his surprise, they agreed to his request.

The event, held at Block 162, Tampines Street 12, was stipulated as a free community food event with no money exchanged and that it would be capped at 50 people.

This block is under Tampines Town Council. 

Although he informed his neighbours at the last minute, many still turned up to try the soup with some travelling all the way from the west side of Singapore. Some 50 people reportedly turned up at this event.

Ngoh served two soups at the event, a clear chicken soup with vegetables, and spiced pumpkin and carrot soup with red lentils and coconut milk.

He also tried to keep the ingredients "halal-friendly", though it was made clear that he comes from a non-halal household.

"What surprised me most was not just that people came down for soup, but that neighbours and strangers naturally started chatting with one another. It made me realise that sometimes people are open to community, but there just needs to be a simple excuse for everyone to gather," said Ngoh.

He said he bore all the costs himself, totalling $89.38, including $50 for rental and charges for access to electricity and water points.

He added that he hopes to host more free community events at his void deck, and encourage others to see such spaces as more than just venues for weddings and funerals.

Void decks, he added, can be an affordable way for neighbours and even strangers to come together.

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com