Emergency starter kits that contain three N95 masks each will be distributed to some 1.2 million households here from Tuesday, May 6.
Announced on Monday afternoon, the initiative by Temasek Cares - the non-profit, philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings - hopes to get Singaporean households to start thinking about how they can better prepare themselves for emergencies, such as the haze or flu pandemics.
The distribution of the Stay Prepared kits will take place over one week starting from May 6 to 12. Apart from the masks, the kits will also contain information in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil on how to wear the masks as well as emergency contact numbers of the police, fire stations and the dengue hotline, among others. There will also be a QR code that links users to the Stay Prepared website www.stayprepared.sg
On top of the starter kits for households, another 17,000 kits will go to 144 charities including nursing homes. Another 300,000 will be prepared for standby for needy families in case of severe haze or flu pandemic emergencies.
The $4 million project is funded by the Temasek Emergency Preparedness Fund (TEPrep Fund) launched in March. Each kit provides households with a base kit that they can build on to be better equipped during times of emergency.
For instance, on top of masks, households can prepare their own emergency grab bags containing medication or vitamins required by members of the family.
Said Temasek Cares chairman Richard Magnus: "Singapore is a safe city. However, unforeseen events may adversely impact us and our community from time to time. All of us - individuals, families, companies - have to be prepared."
Temasek Cares will partner with Singapore Power, supported by Singapore Post, for this initiative. About 300 Singapore Power staff, together with 1,200 postmen from Singapore Post, are involved in the project.
The starter kit project is the second one funded under the $40 million TEPrep Fund.
The first is the $1.5 million Temasek Cares KITS (Kids in Tough Situations) programme, a three-year pilot scheme that will train 60 social workers, therapists and school counsellors in trauma-focused therapy for children who have been exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury or violence.