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#MyFSGPledge - Lai Chun Ying

6 December 2023

Meet Lai Chun Ying, a long-time volunteer whose passion for sustainability led to the growth of a vibrant zero waste community in her neighbourhood.

Portrait of Lai Chun Ying.

“I made the commitment to start volunteering six years ago. Today, I’m fulfilled by the support I provide to elderly and lower-income families in my neighbourhood, and a zero waste initiative I kickstarted in Yuhua.”

— Lai Chun Ying, 40
Research administrator &
Forward SG volunteer facilitator

There are many volunteer opportunities. If you don't know where to start, why not combine your own passion, start with your community and better the lives of those who live near you?

I was keen to find out about zero waste initiatives and came across the non-profit Repair Kopitiam which holds workshops on repairing old household items. So people can use their things such as rice cookers and vacuum cleaners for longer instead of throwing them out once they don't work.

Lai Chun Ying in a Repair Kopitiam workshop session

I decided to bring the free Repair Kopitiam workshops to my neighbourhood. So the community can be coached on how to prolong the use of their household items, and they can then take the skills back to their own friends and family, thus producing a chain effect of prudence and less waste generated overall.

We started the first session in Yuhua in 2019, and since then, have been holding one every last Sunday of the month. We conduct around 20 one-to-one sessions each time, and we have a wide range of participants. From the elderly in their 80s who could benefit from the social interaction and picking up a new skill, to the curious child.

One kid brought along an old game console, and we fixed it together with him. Many make the Repair Kopitiam sessions a family activity. These workshops also help to build relationships and trust between neighbours. Some participants enjoyed the workshop so much, they “graduated” from trainee volunteers to senior coaches, teaching others how to repair their items.

Lai Chun Ying in another Repair Kopitiam workshop.

I was a volunteer facilitator at the Forward SG session held at Jurong Spring CC in July this year, where I led conversations on sustainability. I took it as an opportunity to get Singaporeans thinking about what they can each do to contribute to their community in their own ways, instead of waiting for the Government and others to act on their feedback. It was a good start in engaging and getting them interested in the many community projects available.

Download the infographic of Lai Chun Ying's MyFSGPledge [PDF, 12.3 MB]

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