Background, objectives, support and development on Singapore Bicentennial Project - Bedok-Reservoir Trail

This is the Singapore Bicentennial Project - Bedok-Reservoir Trail which I led as a Principal Investigator to represent Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC).  The purpose of this project was to enhance the sense of belonging amongst the residents of Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC through a discovery of Bedok Reservoir and an awareness of the Teochew heritage in Hougang. 

The deliverables of the project were an e-book written and published by me, a set of eight exhibition panels that are mounted on easels, video demonstration of cooking Teochew traditional dishes and video interviews of Bedok Resevoir and Hougang residents. 

This Bicentennial Project was launched in June 2019 by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Kiat at Our Tampines Hub.  As this project was very well received by the residents who visited the booth where this project was exhibited, I bided and secured another booth to showcase this project during the National Day Dinner Celebration in July 2019 so as to ascertain interest.  As there were a lot of interests amongst the youths and residents about Bedok Reservoir estate, many community leaders urged me to share this meaningful project more widely with the youths.  

As a follow up, I put up a proposal to seek a $10,000 grant from Northeast Community Development Council (NECDC) and simultaneously seek permission from Singapore Scout Association (SSA) for support in translating the implementation of this Bicentennial Project as a Venture Scout Service Project (VSSP).  Both SSA and NECDC have approved the project.

The planning of this VSSP was supervised by Mr Hoo Chuan Yang, Area Commissioner of SSA and Mr Ang Kiat-Heng Richard, Constituency Director of Bedok Reservoir-Punggol Division (BRP) of Aljunied GRC and advised by Mr Victor Lye, Adviser to Aljunied GRC and supported by Mayor Desmond Choo of NECDC.  The plan was to engage Damai Secondary School and invite the students to participate in a trail of Bedok Reservoir so as to know our estate better through building on their sense of curiosity, learn by doing and navigating their way around and inspire an interest in thinking about issues related to our community.  Other life lessons on keeping our environment clean and green, bringing families to participate and bond in the trail, share memories of the place and enliven our youths to spawn more community projects and encourage our residents to exercise more by walking are the other objectives.  

Using the skills in scouting, I recee Bedok Reservoir area, spoke with many of the residents, shopkeepers and people from other estate who visit Bedok Reservoir regularly to find out more about this estate and develop a trail.  During our preparation to launch the project on 13 February 2020 with mass participation amongst the secondary one students, Covid-19 disrupted our plans.  The event was cancelled as social distancing and reduced mass activities were encouraged by the government to curb the spread of Covid-19.  Instead of cancelling the event, I worked with the school to open the event up to all levels of students and teachers, provided them with the resources such as a navigational guide and instructions so that they could complete the trail on their own with friends or family within the stipulated time.