Hi, this is Kiyomi. I am in charge of SDGs activities at the Singapore branch.

From 3-28 July 2023, 128 staff members of the Singapore Branch came together to volunteer at a charity organisation called Willing Hearts.　

Willing Hearts cooks and prepares about 7,000 meals every day, 365 days a year, for the elderly, the disabled, low-income families, children from single-parents and poverty-stricken families, and migrant workers, and distributes the meals to over 70 communities in the country.

I would like to share our volunteer activities with you.

Plan were made to allow as many staff members as possible to experience volunteer work, with between 6 to 8 staff members participating in either morning or afternoon activities each day.

Their responsibilities varied, and there were days when we opened over 10,000 cans of tuna.

We also prepare fish and chicken and cut vegetables.

　Preparing to cook rice

We pack meals for distribute, make sandwiches using unsold bread from bakeries and supermarkets and pack them in bags.

We also do the washing, weeding, cleaning windows, and polishing shelves.

Singapore is one of the wealthiest countries in Southeast Asia. The median monthly income reported by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in 2022 was S$5070.

Nevertheless, 26.65% of households earn less than half of the national median income, with many low-income households earning less than S$1000/month, and many receiving supports from the government. Through this activity, we were able to contribute to society and at the same time, it was a great opportunity for us to interact and work with colleagues that we don’t normally interact with.

The Singapore branch would like to continue such activities in the future.