Whose job is it to improve our society? We speak to a ground-up changemaker to hear all about it 

When we see issues in society, do we think 'that is not my problem' or 'someone else will deal with it'? It is easy to push away the problem and assume that others will step in and deal with it. But what if we shift our perspective and put that responsibility on ourselves? That is what Azlina Bte Ahmad, 44, did with her ground-up initiative - SmilesSalam SG. 

Making sure no one stays hungry 

In fixing one problem, another solution was unintentionally created. Azlina regularly volunteered to distribute food donations to needy residents living in rental flats when she noticed a stockpile of food donations at one elderly woman's house.  

The woman explained that she did not cook much, so most of the food donated to her went untouched and unused. She continued to receive food donations, as she felt it would come across as ungrateful if she rejected them. 

Azlina saw this mismatch of resources as an opportunity to make sure the appropriate form of support was given to those who needed it. This was when she came up with the idea of a pop-up grocery event where beneficiaries and the public could donate their excess food, and anyone in need could pick up food for themselves. 

Taking the first steps to start SmilesSalam SG 

Azlina has been running SmilesSalam SG since 2018 as a volunteering outfit that would visit rural villages in Siem Reap, Cambodia to help build and install water filters in homes. 

In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak, the volunteer group took a backseat as the world went into shut down, until Azlina rounded them up to help with the first pop-up grocery event. The group visited rental flats, conducting a survey with residents about what they were doing with their food donations. They also pitched the idea of the pop-up grocery to them, which was received with enthusiasm. 

Then it was just a matter of putting the idea into action. Azlina got word out to the residents to bring their excess food donations like rice and oil to the pop-up grocery. To supplement the event, Azlina and her volunteers also raised funds among family and friends to buy other food items to distribute. The pop-up grocery was not just open to the original beneficiaries, SmilesSalam SG welcomed the public to take what they needed as well. 

Growing SmilesSalam SG into a full-time project 

The success of the first pop-up grocery event generated great interest from the public, who participated in subsequent pop-ups. One volunteer from Lions Club, who also coordinated food distributions for other charity partners, then proposed getting a community fridge for SmilesSalam SG to store perishables. 

Another Lions Club volunteer donated the fridge to SmilesSalam SG. With the support of a charity partner and the town council, they set up the fridge at the void deck of Block 101 Bedok North Avenue 4, where the pop-up grocery events are held. Both teams work together to fill and maintain the fridge between pop-up events which happen once every quarter. 

The community fridge was a milestone for SmilesSalam SG, as it meant three meaningful developments for the organisation. Firstly, fresh produce could now be available to the beneficiaries - a welcome healthier option than the canned food they usually received. 

 SmilesSalam SG worked with The Red Collective to source for fresh produce from Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. Azlina herself spoke with vegetable sellers from nearby wet markets to get fruits and vegetables that would have been thrown away because of some blemishes. 

Secondly, the refrigerated produce was now accessible by residents at any time. This meant there was no need for beneficiaries to adhere to the pop-up grocery event timings. Thirdly, the open fridge allowed for other residents to drop off donated vegetables or fruits as and when they wanted to. 

Getting help to scale SmilesSalam SG 

At this point, the scale at which SmilesSalam SG was growing meant that Azlina needed to dedicate more hours of her time to run the organisation. This is when she decided to step away from her full-time job, so she could grow her ground-up initiative further. 

Running SmilesSalam SG full-time came with its own set of pros and cons. For one, she was still using her home to hold the donated groceries, which had now stockpiled and posed a hazard to her young child. Then there was the matter of getting financial support to keep operations going. 

Ever resourceful, Azlina reached out to government agencies, as well as networked with other charities and ground-up agencies for help. "We cannot do this ourselves, so the support and resources from the government help us sustain what we want to give to those on the ground," she commented. 

Fengshan Community Club managed to find a space at the Seniors' Citizen Centre for SmilesSalam SG to store all their donated goods and provided available spaces around the estate for their pop-up grocery events. They also received support from the Our Singapore Fund (Community) from the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth, which supports projects that promote the Singapore spirit and strengthen our solidarity as a society. The fund helped SmilesSalam SG grow their ability to handle more donated goods and cover essential costs like equipment, delivery logistics, refreshments, and publicity.  

With such help, Azlina could once again focus on stretching SmilesSalam SG's efforts beyond their initial group of beneficiaries. The team decided to address the needs of parents of young children, who had been asking for provisions such as powdered milk and diapers. The pop-up grocery events now include racks of donated clothes, where beneficiaries can take all the clothes they need for just $2 a bag. 

Now that SmilesSalam SG is reaching out to multiple generations of beneficiaries, they can plan other engaging activities outside of pop-up grocery events. For example, SmilesSalam SG invited their senior beneficiaries to potlucks, bingo and craftwork sessions, in partnership with Temasek Foundation OSCAR Fund and Singapore Kindness Movement.

Parents and kids from their milk and diaper beneficiaries also got to attend a children's performance at Victoria Theatre, sponsored by a theatre production company. This year, in celebration of SG60, SmilesSalam SG brought National Day celebrations to the neighbourhood by holding a Pledge Event for the beneficiaries and residents. The event was held in partnership with the National Day Parade (NDP) 2025 Committee, which supported the initiative by providing NDP collaterals, fun packs and arranging a special appearance of the NDP Mascot at the event.

The snowball effect of taking initiative 

SmilesSalam SG now supports communities both overseas and locally with their volunteering efforts. And all it took was one person to recognise that an issue could be solved through her own efforts. 

Now imagine if all of us step up to do the same - kindness and compassion would only snowball and positively impact more Singaporeans. As Azlina shared, "everybody can contribute in their own way or at their own pace, as long as we know what is needed out there." 

If you are unsure about what first steps you should take, there are resources available to help. One such resource is the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO), which connects ground-up initiatives with relevant agencies for help and funding. Those already brimming with ideas on building a better Singapore can submit their proposals on the Partners Portal. 

Or, if you are inspired by Azlina's story and want to find out how you can contribute meaningfully to society, you can take the SGPO Stationery Personality Quiz. In eight questions, you will find out your persona and the strengths you possess. Look out for the personalised results, where you will be connected to causes you can start volunteering at, based on the answers you give. 

This article is brought to you in partnership with the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO).

raewyn.koh@asiaone.com