Edible garden project at worker dorms gets funding boost

Edible community gardens for growing vegetables and fruits at migrant worker dormitories will help to supplement the diets of workers, and also provide a therapeutic outlet to improve the mental health of those still under strict movement curbs.

Dr Wong Han Teng, lead of the Covid-19 Migrant Support Coalition's WeGarden project, said the pandemic has increased workers' reliance on catered food, and fresh produce from the edible gardens will improve their diets.

He hopes that the gardens will also serve as a place of comfort for them. "Where many of our migrant brothers are from, greenery is everywhere compared with highly urbanised Singapore," the 32-year-old research fellow said.

"They have a deep connection to nature and often seek out green spaces in Singapore."

He added: "Dormitories in Singapore are utilitarian in nature, thus we hope that the gardens will help make their surroundings more green."

The edible gardens initiative is among 42 projects that will obtain funding under the SG Eco Fund's new Sprout category, which is for smaller community projects seeking up to $10,000.

The fund saw 110 applications under the new category, and the selected projects will get funding of about $280,000 in total.

Another project that will receive funding is an environmental education initiative that trains and grooms pupil leaders from primary schools.

The Student Heroes in Environmental Leadership Development initiative aims to roll out educational programmes to 10 primary schools as part of a pilot scheme to inspire and educate the younger generation on environmental issues.

It will follow a curriculum from Earth School Singapore, the country's first non-profit school for environmental education with an ecosystem of different organisations and environmentalists.

Ms Cassandra Yip, founder and chief executive of Earth School, said that sustainable impact can be achieved only through knowledge, empathy and personal action - areas that begin primarily with education.

The 22-year-old third-year environmental studies undergraduate at the National University of Singapore said that tapping children's creativity and imagination can lead to environmental solutions.

Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, said: "I'm heartened by the continued positive response to the SG Eco Fund. All of us can play a part in co-creating solutions to help realise the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

"Through the new Sprout category under the SG Eco Fund, we hope to empower more individuals and community groups to take ownership of the environment.

"No effort or idea is too small, and I encourage more people to come forward and apply for the fund."

The $50 million SG Eco Fund was launched in November last year by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment to support ground-up projects that advance environmental sustainability in Singapore. Such projects include those dealing with climate change mitigation, waste reduction, as well as the conservation of nature and biodiversity.