Story contributed by Myna, Community Worker
By mid-morning on 11 October, the void deck was bustling.
A boy counted chairs, checking if there were enough for the aunties near the fan. An uncle compared PMD chargers and showed a neighbour the safer one. At one table, residents discussed how to reach older folks; at another, officers answered questions about vaping.
Scenes like this don’t happen overnight. They grow from years of neighbours learning to trust one another and choosing to act together.
Before 2023, several resident groups in Jalan Kukoh were doing good work separately. Over time, volunteers realised they could do more together. After a few meetings and many WhatsApp messages, they came together and called themselves One Heart. Since then, Beyond has walked alongside them: linking partners, filling gaps, and stepping back when residents are ready to lead.
That trust now shapes how things are done here.
When One Heart asked around the blocks, “What would benefit the community most?” three concerns stood out – youth vaping, fire safety, and seniors who were spending long hours alone. With the support of corporate partners and helping agencies, they planned a morning that responded to those needs. Most importantly, they opened it up to elderly neighbours and families from nearby purchased flats – because belonging only works when everyone has space in it.
In the middle of that morning stood a simple flower booth.
A volunteer, introduced by another, brought flowers rescued from weddings and events. She showed children how to trim and tie small bouquets, then left out blank cards. No one told them what to do. Yet the children began writing and giving them away – a flower for a parent, a teacher, a sibling, the cleaner who greets them each morning.
That moment said so much. It happened because trust was already there – because people felt free to show up, and children had learned that care is something they can offer too. That’s what years of working side by side can do: turn helping into habit, and habit into community.
“This is everyone’s home,” said Mustapha, a founding volunteer. “We all have a part to play.”
That’s what it means to make room – not just to invite, but to involve; not just to speak, but to act together.
As the world marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, we’re reminded that poverty isn’t only about what’s missing; it’s also about who gets to belong. In Jalan Kukoh, that belonging looks like a seat, a say – and sometimes, a small bouquet offered with love.
When we make room, we make change.
Help us keep making room for families, neighbours, and communities ready to lead.