Dignity Kitchen seeks $200k in donations for restoration works after fire

SINGAPORE — Social enterprise Dignity Kitchen is hoping to raise $200,000 for restoration works after a fire damaged its premises on Feb 13. It has received over $23,000 from more than 200 people on crowdfunding platform Give Asia so far.

The organisation's 10,600 sq ft premises at 69 Boon Keng Road were damaged after a fire in the rubbish collection centre next to its building spread, destroying its wall, roof, electrical items and air-conditioning units.

The incident, which occurred in the wee hours of the morning, has been classified as "mischief by fire" and police investigations are ongoing.

Founder Koh Seng Choon, 65, told The Straits Times he was away in Hong Kong, where he has another Dignity Kitchen branch, when the incident happened. He returned to Singapore on Feb 28.

Dignity Kitchen is run by Project Dignity, a social enterprise founded in 2010 to create jobs for people with disabilities. Its Singapore branch comprises a full-functioning hawker centre open to the public, a culinary training centre, social outreach programmes, and secondhand book stalls.

Koh told The Straits Times the training centre suffered the main damage. The quotation he received for repairing the exterior walls, as well as replacing the air-conditioning units and roof, amounted to about $130,000. However, the full extent of the damage cannot be assessed until the roof is removed. It will also take some time for his insurer to determine and process the payout.

Training makes up 30 to 40 per cent of Project Dignity's total business revenue, he said. Dignity Learn, its inclusive training programme, provides Workforce Skills Qualification- and SkillsFuture-eligible hawker culinary courses for the public. It also runs a 22-day Train-and-Place programme for adults with special needs seeking employment.

Koh said he has asked for urgent rewiring works and bought a portable air-conditioner to resume training classes, but lessons will have to stop again for about 12 weeks when restoration works are carried out. He added that he could not yet determine the total amount of revenue loss.

The food court, which has seven stalls manned by the differently abled and disadvantaged, resumed operations on Feb 19. Its operations include providing free box meals to 90 low-wage workers for dinner from Mondays to Fridays.

"We lost business at our food court for several days, including over Valentine's Day and part of Chinese New Year," Koh said. "Business is picking up again now."

"We have been through a lot of crises but we are still growing. One good thing that came out of this is that my team of over 100 staff handled the crisis well while I was away."

Entrepreneur Vivian Pan, 39, donated $100 to Dignity Kitchen's fund-raiser.

"Mr Koh is a humble man and good leader," she said. "He doesn't give up and keeps fighting for his dream."

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.