Kampong Clean-Up: Let's Make Our Kampongs Beautiful Again
Hi All!
If volunteering has been one of those items that you decided to put into your bucket list for 2019, then do I have the opportunity for you! But even if it isn't, I hope you may read on because there's something I'd like to share with you, too.
As Singapore took its step from being a third world country to first; where kampongs in the mainland were replaced with sky-high HDB flats, the promise of a better and more convenient life in the city had left many people from Pulau Ubin with a dilemma - to leave their homes and family legacy behind or move to Singapore in the hopes of brighter days.
The eventual closure of amenities on the island such as the schools, clinic, surau and community centre due to the rising maintenance and operations cost in the late 1980s to early 1990s further pushed residents to make that difficult decision. However, there was something unique about the Ubin community that still amazed me till this day.
My late grandmother sitting by the steps with my cousin and her dad to her left. My youngest uncle, Pak Andak, stands to my grandmother's right.
While not all residents were evicted and their homes demolished, there were also those who moved to Singapore but still had their kampong houses untouched. Despite the fact that the city life offered much more conveniences such as proper plumbing, running electricity, air-conditioned buildings and public transportation, many of the former residents would head back once a week or even more frequently back to Pulau Ubin to take care of their kampong houses. They knew that there were much sentimental value in their homes because those wooden walls and flooring were raised and built by their own forefathers - a valuable family heirloom that should it be abandoned and forgotten, would have been a regrettable act upon their family's heritage.
A kampong house in Kampong Bamap (Mamam) that had since been abandoned and overgrown with the surrounding forests.
Unfortunately today, a majority of the residents who used to frequent the island had no longer returned. Some had since passed away while others may have forgotten their roots and simply do not care about coming back; this was more so for those who have been evicted and their homes demolished in the name of supposed development on the island. For the minority of those who still frequent the island however, their health and age has caught up with them.
Today, there are only a handful of permanent residents and even smaller amount of former residents around to keep the Ubin community alive. A huge majority of them have reached the age where performing simple tasks such as gardening, trimming and cleaning had become an extreme obstacle in their daily routine. So, this is where you and I can come in to help.
Cik Ibrahim, also known by locals as Wak Ayim, is a resident in Kampong Sungei Durian. He currently takes care of his neighbour's house seen in the back of this picture, after his own home had since been demolished downstream.
"Kampong Clean-Up" is one of the few initiatives that I have taken in the hopes of it becoming a regular Pulau Ubin event, one where volunteers may join me as I go around to the houses of the residents here to assist them in cleaning up their homes and gardens. It is a simple task that everyone of us can take part in, and I hope that you may join me, too!
On December 15th, 2018, I was joined in by Sulaiman to help assist in cleaning up his mother's kampong house. This would be the pilot to my "Kampong Clean-Up" initiative, Wan's Ubin Journal's first community outreach programme.
You could see that the overgrown grass had been removed from the concrete floor. Weeds creeping onto the wooden walls had also been removed to protect the structural integrity of the house.
Wefie time with Sulaiman after a whole morning of cleaning-up.
The first "Kampong Clean-Up" for 2019 on Pulau Ubin will be happening on Saturday, January 26th 2019 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you are keen, and I really hope you are, do report to Changi Point Ferry Terminal by 8.45 a.m. Directions here can be found on the "Getting to Ubin" page.
You are strongly advised to bring:
1x Water Bottle
1x Cap
1x Face Towel
Insect Repellent
You are also strongly encouraged to come in long pants/trousers and covered shoes to further prevent bites from mosquitoes or any other insects. Cleaning equipment will be provided on the island, however if you wish to bring along some of your own such as gloves, pruners, tongs, garbage bags etc., please feel free to bring them along!
All of this information and more can be found at the registration page, and in case you're wondering, yes it is FREE! Register for the "Kampong Clean-Up" here!
I've always had dreams of giving back to the Ubin community, after knowing how much they have provided and contributed to the welfare of my late grandparents when they were growing old together on the island. As much as I am happy to know that I am a descendant from Pulau Ubin, I knew I wanted to do more and give more to the place that more or less shaped me into who I am today. I created Wan's Ubin Journal as a means of documenting my family's roots and hoped that the heritage and past of Pulau Ubin would be made known to the rest of Singapore, but today I also wanted to make sure that Pulau Ubin's present and future would also be secured, too.
Thank you for your kind attention and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you. Together, let's help make our kampongs beautiful again.
May Pulau Ubin thrive again, with its people in its heart.
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