Dr Koh Chaik Ming, Chairman of The Food Bank Singapore,
Dr Arthur Chin, Executive Director of The Food Bank Singapore, and
Ladies and Gentlemen
1 Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to join today’s event.
2 Thank you to Dean David for the use of this space. Thank you to Food Bank’s team, including the people who worked not just on Hunger Report I, II, but also III. In Hunger Report I we saw a very good dive statistically into the extent of food insecurity in Singapore. In Hunger Report II, it went a little more qualitative, into the nuances of what food insecurity means for Singapore and our communities. Here we are, Hunger Report III, a deep dive into the operational side of things.
Thoughtful and Coordinated Support
3 I think a good check is how we are doing in terms of how we are cooperating with each other, how we are coordinating support for communities on the ground. I have three key takeaways on this report.
4 One, is this notion of collective action, because there are many different players in the landscape - many different food charities, the Government, and also many volunteers, donors. How do we get everyone to go in one direction? In terms of our practice and mission, the vector is quite clear: it’s worth resolving needs on the ground. But sometimes when we are trying to get to our vision, the practice can go somewhat in different directions. How can we close the gap and move unidirectionally, so that the finite resources that we have amongst us can be better used to support these movements.
5 The second point is about giving. Today there is plenty of giving in Singapore. We are doing quite well as a society all around, even as we face headwinds in the macro environment. But there is much to be shared, and that’s a good thing. How then do we make sure that we do not just give, but give better. Give better in terms of “giving thoughtfully”.
6 Take for instance the recipients of our food support and our beneficiaries. They are not monolithic; they are not individuals or family units with the same needs. A family with a newborn or infant, they need formula milk and their needs are going to be quite different from a family with a senior, a senior suffering from dementia, for example. That affects about one in 11 seniors in Singapore. And if you are a senior who is living with dementia, you would most likely have conditions such as dysphagia, difficulties in swallowing. My late dad, who passed away last year, had the same conditions.
7 So surely the support that we give families cannot be just carte blanche or a standard tech operation. There is space and room for us to consider how, with the finite amount of resources that we have, we can better cater to the needs of each archetype.
8 My last point is the fact that food support is more than aspirational in nature. Food support can really be an olive branch, and I draw experience from my work with the groups that engage rough sleepers on the ground. They’re part of our Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers (PEERS) Network, and they often visit our rough sleeping friends. They will bring bottled water, some food and alms, and reach out as a show of goodwill in hope that we can build a relationship with them and better understand their specific circumstances. Thereafter, having built that trust, we can better support them. I think food support can be that bridge and olive branch. Just think about the power that can be yielded if all of us worked together. With this support, and some olive branch, we can provide all-round customised, holistic and comprehensive support to each individual and each family that is in need.
Closing
9 I hope that today, we have some meaningful discussions. We have a panel coming up, please feel free to ask questions. Along with my two other panellists, I think we can be bold and ambitious enough to set aspirational targets for ourselves.
10 On that note I wish everybody a wonderful time here at EHL, and also a wonderful Friday. Thank you very much.