Funds pour in to restore Dignity Kitchen's fire-damaged premises

There are many kind people in Singapore, said Dignity Kitchen founder Koh Seng Choon, who has reached his fund-raising target of $200,000 for the restoration works of his social enterprise.

- Chin Soo Fang

The fire that ravaged his 10,600 sq ft premises at 69 Boon Keng Road in the wee hours of the morning on Feb 13 opened his eyes to the generosity of ordinary Singaporeans.

Police investigations into the fire are still ongoing.

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 food court open to the public, a culinary training centre, social outreach programmes and secondhand book stalls.

Restoration works, which will start on April 1, will cost over $100,000 and take about two to three months. The contractors will focus on the roof, air-conditioners, Web server and training centre, which suffered the most damage.

The food court, which has seven stalls manned by the differently abled and disadvantaged, is intact and resumed operations on Feb 19.