Meet the heart and soul of this garden in Marine Crescent
It all started with a simple goal in the year 2000.
Gina Ong, who was then already a member of the Residents’ Committee (RC) in Marine Crescent, wanted a more convenient way to get herbs and veggies for her dishes.
A pitch, and some talks later, ‘Our Kitchen Garden’ was formed — a community space for residents from blocks 30 to 35 to enjoy.
25 years since its founding, the garden is bigger and even better than before.
Most impressively, Gina and her “core group” of gardeners, now older and wiser, have stepped up as caretakers of not just the plants but other ageing residents, including one another.
‘We are more than just neighbours,’ says founding member
Strong, resilient, warm, and welcoming would be the words to describe the women of Our Kitchen Garden.
Over the past 20 years or so, they have seen each other through the medical emergencies that come with age, and also the passing of their spouses.
After Tess De La Cruz lost her husband, Cora Pamintuan, a member of the gardening club and Gina’s long-time helper, became more involved in her life to prevent her from spending all her time alone.
It began with a simple breakfast invite one Monday morning, and now, Tess describes the garden as her second home.
“We are more than just neighbours, because we are not only concerned about gardening,” added Gina, who is also the emergency contact for 84-year-old Rosita Cedillo.
“When someone is sick, we help them, buy food for them. Community means that everybody looks after each other.”
Occasionally, Gina would receive calls from the Singapore Red Cross, prompting her to check in on Rosita, who is single and lives alone.
These checks are often precautionary and sometimes a result of the motion sensors installed in the houses of Singapore’s elderly.
However, sometimes, the women have to spring into action.
Head gardener turned kampung ‘chief’
Gina, who holds spare keys to the homes of some of the estate’s old folks, recalled a recent emergency when one neighbour in her 80s took a bad fall.
“She fell, and she couldn’t move,” said Gina, who was alerted to the incident via a call from Cora.
Although she could unlock the door to the home, the older woman had latched the door, delaying her rescue.
After several more calls to the town council and other neighbours, they were able to break the latch and get her help.
While waiting for the ambulance, a neighbour’s son, an off-duty paramedic, even looked after the woman until they arrived.
“It’s all about the kampung spirit,” relayed Gina.
However, when they are not busy saving lives, the women are still constantly caring for the community in other ways.
One such initiative is the estate’s weekly food distribution exercise.
Work of Marine Crescent gardeners goes beyond planting vegetables
Every Saturday at 9am, equipped with their marketing trolleys, a group of elderly residents would show up without fail at Block 34 Marine Crescent.
There, Gina and the rest of the gardening club would be waiting with neatly arranged boxes of “rescued” vegetables.
These are vegetables left unsold from the market distribution centre — and, sometimes, even free soon kueh.
The line of about 60 to 70 people moves quickly thanks to the women’s practised hands.
They clear out their stock for the day within 30 minutes by 10am.
While Saturdays seem to be the busiest for these gardeners, it is not the only time they see each other.
“Some of them are here every morning, others every evening,” shared Gina.
They even spend two to three hours every Friday night together sorting the vegetables for distribution the next day.
The group agrees that the garden and these activities have fostered a sense of kinship and neighbourliness in the area.
Or as Gina puts it, kampung spirit.
“Before this, we didn’t know each other. Now, even our residents know all our gardeners,” she said.
No plans to stop even after two decades
The neighbours-turned-“sisters” now lean on each other for support and companionship.
They celebrate holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve together, as well as birthdays.
Even after tending the garden day after day, year after year, the ladies have no plans to quit.
For them, the garden has been a source of love and joy, even though they have spent countless hours toiling over compost and soil under the sun.
“I actually think helping in the garden helps with our health,” added Gina.
“You get free Vitamin D, and the exercise makes you more energetic [rather than] staying home and watching TV all day.”
Gina calls her group “die-hard people” who will commit to the garden through and through.
Committed groups are necessary for other budding community gardens, she adds.
“The core group is the main pillar for the garden, and from there you will attract more people,” she said.
When asked if they see themselves doing this forever, they said, amidst good-natured laughter:
We will do this as long as we are alive.
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Photography by Ngô Huy Toàn.
