Did you know that there are an estimated 921 to 1,050 people who are homeless in Singapore?
We’ve come across some of them sleeping in void decks near housing estates, but volunteer group Project Hills was shocked to find one displaced family of 3 living in Lim Chu Kang cemetery.
According to MS News, Tok Adi, his wife, and his 8-year-old son have been living in a makeshift shack in the jungles made of discarded plywood and signboards for the past three years.
Trouble Finding Sources of Income
Tok Adi, who’s actually a gravedigger at Lim Chu Kang’s cemetery, claims he hasn’t been paid for the work he does.
The man alleges that he can’t receive proper compensation for his work because he isn’t tech-savvy and cannot send pictures of his work as proof.
And since he can’t read, finding alternative sources of income has been a difficult task, and it’s also one of the reasons he can’t apply for a house.
Consequently, Tok Adi and his family have had to put up at this makeshift home in the woods, where they built their own toilet and retrieve water from a hand-built well.
Moreover, to keep mosquitoes at bay, they have to keep a bonfire burning all the time.
Volunteers Reached Out
Fortunately for the family, the kind folks at Project Hills reached out to Tok Adi and his family upon hearing about their situation.
They quickly headed down to the cemetery to talk to the family and find out how they could help.
One of the volunteers even played some football with Tok Adi’s 8-year-old boy.
Project Hills said that some of their volunteers hardly slept after hearing about the family’s situation as they were gathering supplies from supermarkets and contacting others for help.
Returned to Batam
According to MS News, Project Hills have since helped Tok Adi’s wife and son return to Batam for a temporary period, because their visa is expiring.
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The volunteer group said that this is just a “temporary arrangement” until they can secure some “stable accommodation” for the family.
They are also working on Tok Adi’s HDB applications and taking care of the gravedigger, who is facing a health issue that “requires immediate attention”.
And since they need all the help they can get, the volunteer group has asked the public for contributions that will aid them in their goal to find a proper home for the family.
It’s certainly heartwarming to see that there are people out there who genuinely care about the less privileged, and are willing to spend a significant amount of time and money to make sure that their basic needs are met.
Let’s hope that Tok Adi and his family find a permanent home soon.
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