The kampong spirit that thrives in the HDB heartlands can flourish in private housing estates too, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan said in his latest blog post on Sunday.
He cited the example of Goldhill estate in Moulmein Constituency, where the NParks Community In Bloom (CIB) programme is being carried out.
The CIB programme brings local communities together to grow their own vegetables, herbs and fruit trees in assigned areas.
Mr Khaw said residents were proud to tell him during a recent visit that their garden won three top awards at the Singapore Garden Festival 2010
He said that not all residents are farmers or have green fingers and are volunteers from all walks of life who came together to build their vegetable garden from scratch. However, with advice from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority on seeding, fertilisation and irrigation, the garden has thrived under the care of the residents.
The volunteers have grown closer as they learnt how to grow and take care of their garden and reap rewards from the harvests, Mr Khaw added.
The CIB programme was also extended to the rooftop of the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Yishun, where — with the help of volunteers from Yishun and Sembawang — it has been a great success benefiting patients at the hospital, Mr Khaw said.
Mr Khaw commented that while Singapore is highly urbanised, we can also be like a kampong with urban farmers, adding to the neighbourhood’s biodiversity and our quality of life along the way.
