When Ang Saw Kim looked around the Jalan Berseh neighbourhood where she lives, she saw not the clean and green city that Singapore prides itself on, but discarded cigarette butts, empty bottles and cans, and litter scattered across the estate. Bulky waste left in common areas added to the problem, creating both eyesores and safety hazards. For Saw Kim, a volunteer exercise facilitator at MWS Wesley Active Ageing Centre (AAC) – Jalan Berseh, the issue became hard to ignore when it began affecting seniors attending exercise sessions. “Once, there was even vomit at the pavilion where we usually exercise,” she recalled.
19th September 2026
When Clean and Green Wasn’t What She Saw
From awareness to action
“It was then that I realised I had been walking with blinkers on,” said Saw Kim, who is in her 50s. “From that moment, my eyes were opened.”
Determined to do more than simply report the issues, Saw Kim approached staff at MWS Wesley AAC with an idea she had come across online: plogging, a global movement that combines walking or jogging with picking up litter. That idea gave rise to Eco Kakis, a ground-up initiative launched in April 2025 that mobilises seniors to keep the neighbourhood clean while staying active. Each week, volunteers walk the estate to pick up litter and report municipal issues such as bulky waste and damaged infrastructure.
Over the past year, the programme has grown to more than a dozen regular volunteers. Through educational talks, recycling efforts, and hands-on action, seniors are not only helping to keep the estate clean but also encouraging others to care for the environment.
Whenever Eco Kakis volunteers spot children eating or drinking, they take the opportunity to gently remind them to dispose of their rubbish properly. “Now, when the children see us picking up litter, they tell us they’ll remember not to litter,” said Saw Kim. “Some even stop to help out. I find that very encouraging.”
Despite relying on a personal mobility device, 72-year-old Tang Chan Tuck is one of Eco Kakis’ most enthusiastic volunteers. A member of his school’s gardening society in his younger days, he has rekindled his lifelong passion for caring for the environment through the programme while forging new friendships with fellow seniors. Chan Tuck’s story reflects the wider impact of Eco Kakis. Beyond keeping the neighbourhood clean, the initiative has given many seniors a renewed sense of purpose and ownership of their community. “Many seniors once felt resigned to the state of the environment,” said Saw Kim. “Now, they see that they can make a difference – and that has empowered them.”
Paying it forward
For Saw Kim, volunteering is her way of giving back. More than a decade ago, she began accompanying her mother to exercise sessions at the Centre and witnessed how regular participation helped her remain active, independent, and engaged. Today, at 84, her mother continues to attend the sessions regularly and play an active role in family life. Grateful for the impact the Centre has made on her mother’s well-being, Saw Kim began volunteering after retiring in 2022. Besides leading strength-training sessions, she also facilitates a befriending programme that reaches out to reclusive and socially isolated seniors. Along the way, she has found encouragement in a community of fellow volunteers. “Despite their age and health challenges, they still give their time so selflessly,” she said. “Seeing that inspires me.”
Many seniors once felt resigned to the state of the environment. Now, they see that they can make a difference – and that has empowered them.–Saw Kim, a volunteer, on mobilising seniors to care for the environment
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