New campaign seeks to make the invisible poor more visible
Photo series aims to raise awareness, money
He has a three-room HDB flat to his name, but Mr Lim can still be found loitering at void decks at all hours of the day - with no one seeming to notice him.
The 63-year-old, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, wanders around public spaces because his home is in an unliveable state.
Mr Lim has a series of medical conditions that prevents him from working and makes it difficult for him to look after himself and his home.
He is blind in one eye, diabetic, mentally disabled and living alone.
The Salvation Army Peacehaven sends a home care worker to clean his home weekly because he is unable to clean up after himself, causing a stench in his flat. Mr Lim is just one example of hidden poverty and suffering in Singapore.
In a black and white photo series - titled Making The Invisible, Visible - Imaginem and The Salvation Army are working together to highlight the stories of such individuals to raise awareness and money for the hidden poor.
The campaign, launched on a crowdfunding site, hopes to raise $150,000 to help people like Mr Lim, who are under The Salvation Army's care.
Shot by prominent local photographer Aik Beng Chia, the photos feature public personalities and prominent advocates for various causes in Singapore such as MP for Nee Soon GRC Louis Ng and The Food Bank Singapore co-founder Nichol Ng.
The images will feature these individuals in the living spaces of some of the beneficiaries.
Imaginem co-founder Lu JiaQuan said: "In Singapore, we assume that because there is no abject poverty, everyone is taken care of. What Singaporeans do not realise is there are individuals who fall through the cracks, who are not taken care of because they may seem to not qualify for assistance."
Among them, he said, are single mothers or property owners who cannot hold down a job because of a disability.
Mr Lu added: "In Mr Lim's case, for example, people may say he could just sell his home, but he holds on to the hope that his family will come home one day."
The series will feature up to eight sets of photographs, three of which have already been shot.
Mr Ng, who is one of the four personalities confirmed for the campaign so far, said he chose to support the series because it is "a message of humility and of how sometimes the most vulnerable members of our society seem invisible".
He added: "I am confident that greater awareness will translate to more action on the ground to help these individuals and tackle poverty issues."
The campaign can be found on giving.sg.
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