Humble Blends: 50+50 for those who need it more
I started this project to document the stories of Singapore’s humble heroes. Since COVID-19 reached our shores, our healthcare and frontline workers have been fighting tirelessly but the number of cases still keep rising. The last time a pandemic like this happened, I was no older than 10, and did not feel the impact as greatly as I do now. Help is needed more than ever as resources are strained, so here’s my little project as a way of giving back. I raised a total of SGD1,350, a full SGD550 above my original goal! All earnings were donated to my charity of choice, Food From The Heart, via their Giving.sg campaign.
The idea behind the project:
This 8 part series named HUMBLE BLENDS is meant to highlight the humble, unsung heroes that are so often forgotten or overlooked in society, as we all scramble to adapt to this “new normal”. I crowd-sourced some of these ideas, from cleaners to migrant workers to hawkers, and found great joy in trying to depict them in as vibrant a way as I could with watercolours, for these people so often blend into the background despite their utmost importance.
Here were some of the artworks and stories:
Artwork 1: Cleaner Uncle This was the first piece I did! It broke my heart to see my favourite office cleaner uncle still in the office despite the Circuit Breaker measures put into place here. I suppose he is counted as an “essential worker” but at his age, I wish he could have stayed home like the rest of us instead of still having to show up to keep the office clean. I bumped into him when I went back to the office to collect my plants and headphones the day before the official Circuit Breaker began. He still laughed and joked with me and told me it’s easier, there are less cups to wash these days.
Artwork 2: Super(market) Stock Packers With DORSCON-ORANGE, tonnes of people flocked to supermarkets and Singaporeans topped the news for hoarding everything & anything, from fresh vegetables to toilet paper. The Government urged people not to hoard because there would always be enough for everyone. Thanks to the backbreaking hours these supermarket workers put in to ensure shelves were always filled, we don’t have to worry about not having food or supplies. What an incredible privilege Singaporeans have.
Artwork 3: Food Delivery Hero This week, the Government announced another 4 weeks of Circuit Breaker measures here in Singapore. That means we have till 1 June where most of us are made to stay home so we all stay clear of the dreadful virus. They also mentioned a further restriction of what constituted “essential services”, and that meant that stuff like bubble tea stores and confectioneries would be made to close. I, along with (possibly) every other person immediately opened my food delivery app to see if I could “snag my last cup!”. I guess technology has made it all so easy for most of us to “order in”, but there are days we forget that those who support these delivery apps are human too, and might work because they have to, while the rest of us get to stay in. Thank goodness for these delivery heroes. :-)
Artwork 4: Teachers!! Teachers. The people who guided and still guide. I never loved the rigidity of school but would have been lost without the guidance of some of my favourite literature & history teachers, and university lecturers. My teachers taught me how to see the world through the subjects they thought. From uploading home-based learning work and planning virtual lessons, and still managing to grade everything in between, teachers are heroes for still ensuring that school continues, lesson plans are met and that no one falls behind!
Artwork 5: Healthcare Workers To all the doctors and nurses who have been fighting on the frontlines since day 1. To those who eventually succumbed while fighting, and to those that still fight. But also, to the hospital/clinic staff who guard the entrances and monitor temperatures of people entering the premise. To those who check every detail on a form and take down notes for contact tracing. To the researchers working against time to find a vaccine for the virus. To all the healthcare professionals who risk their lives every single day, thank you.
Artwork 6: Bakers & CooksBakeries and restaurants are still allowed to stay open as long as they offer takeaway service! I adore my everyday luxuries, like sourdough bread when I have the chance. Since most of us have been made to work from home, demand for artisan bread has soared! Hats off to the bakers who still show up everyday to bake all the loaves of bread that so quickly get sold out.
Artwork 7: Our Migrant WorkersThe cases in Singapore have soared with outbreaks concentrated in migrant worker dormitories. These men— the sons, brothers, lovers and fathers of others back in their home countries are the ones who build Singapore. We see them as construction workers or grass-cutters or window-cleaners but often forget that they too are human with stories to tell and dreams of their own. These are the people that probably blend most into the background as we rush about our daily lives. We need to make this right for them.
Artwork 8: Hawkers! Another one that’s close to heart. Actually, this one is inspired by 2 young hawkers, going by the Instagram handle “BengWhoCooks”. In Singapore, “Beng” usually has a negative connotation of being a delinquent in society, but these two dudes were cooking meals for the needy out of a humble hawker store. I was touched that they used their craft to give back, even if it meant extra hours and work. They vowed to provide food for the needy because they knew the Circuit Breaker would make it especially difficult for the less fortunate to continue getting access to daily necessities (and some might lose their income). P.S. I drew cute tattoos on them and I hope they don’t mind x
