‘You Are Not Forgotten’: Soup Kitchen in Little India Celebrates Deepavali with Migrant Workers

In the heart of Little India, a unique celebration unfolded, bringing festive cheer to the migrant worker community. Krsna's Free Meals, a soup kitchen that has been serving the community since 2018, organized a Deepavali celebration to show appreciation for migrant workers. The event provided food and care packs, aiming to bring a sense of belonging and recognition to those who often work tirelessly and away from their families during the festive season.

Krsna's Free Meals was founded by Ms. Latha Govindasamy and her family with the goal of providing daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner to migrant workers in the area. The soup kitchen starts its day early, with the clanking of rice pots and the aroma of masala filling the air by 4:30 AM. By 5:45 AM, they are already serving breakfast to migrant workers, some of whom travel to Little India after their night shifts to collect their meals. Recognizing that many organizations assist migrant workers with medical or employment-related issues, Ms. Latha identified a need for affordable, consistent access to food.

The Deepavali celebration is a special event for Krsna's Free Meals, emphasizing their commitment to the well-being of migrant workers. The act of providing a celebratory meal and care packages during Deepavali is a powerful way to show these individuals that they are valued and remembered during a time when they might be missing their own families and traditions.

Ms. Latha, who dedicated herself fully to running the soup kitchen in 2023, understands the importance of providing quality meals. The soup kitchen uses quality ingredients, and relies on volunteers and public funding to sustain its operations. This collaborative effort ensures that migrant workers receive nutritious and delicious meals daily. Krsna's Free Meals has distributed over 1,000,000 meals.

The soup kitchen played a vital role during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering food packets to migrant workers who were unable to leave their dormitories. This proactive approach ensured that even during times of crisis, the migrant worker community had access to essential food supplies.

The Deepavali celebration organized by Krsna's Free Meals serves as a reminder of the importance of community support and recognition for migrant workers. It highlights the positive impact that a simple act of kindness, like providing a warm meal and festive cheer, can have on individuals who contribute significantly to Singapore's society.