S'pore charity ItsRainingRaincoats raises S$24,000 in under 24h for migrant workers who saved woman from Tanjong Katong sinkhole

Local charity ItsRainingRaincoats is holding a fundraiser for the migrant workers who rescued a woman from the Tanjong Katong sinkhole on Jul. 26.

Speaking with Mothership, founder Dipa Swaminathan explained that they had been "overwhelmed by requests" from the members of the public who wanted to thank the workers for their bravery.

People had called for them to be granted Permanent Resident (PR) status or National Day awards, she said, but they don't "control decisions around [those]."

"And we wanted to do something significant, something that involves the community," she added.

Ultimately, the charity decided to raise funds for them.

"The reason they're here is to earn a living. The reason they sacrifice being away from their family, is to come here and earn a living," she said.

"So really, what [could be] more meaningful than funds for them to further their prospects?"

Within 24 hours of the fundraiser's launch, they'd managed to raise over S$24,000, she added.

All the money raised will go directly to the migrant workers who were involved in the rescue.

Fleeting moments

Dipa acknowledged that such moments can be fleeting. "Collective memory is short, and then we all kind of move on with our lives," she said.

But she remains hopeful that Singaporeans will work towards a more permanent, systemic change.

She pointed out that Singaporeans "rose to the occasion" and highlighted the role that the migrant workers played in the woman's rescue, sharing videos of their heroism on social media.

This led to the subsequent correction of official communications. Statements on government social media initially attributed the rescue to the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Another thing to note, she said, was the speed of foreman Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah's reaction.

After seeing the woman's car plunge into the sinkhole, he sprung into action and mobilised his fellow migrant workers to toss down a nylon rope and pull her to safety.

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash previously remarked on the prompt response as well, while presenting the workers with appreciation coins.

Without the workers' quick intervention, the situation "would otherwise have been very different", he said.

Dipa added that Pitchai's actions showed "decisiveness [and] bravery" and "complete clarity".

"This was not a decision made by somebody wearing an army general's uniform. It was not a decision made in a corporate boardroom with data.

It was a decision made by a man with yellow boots and a hard hat, who was not trained to save lives. That was not his KPI, that was not his job, that was not his training, and yet he did it."

You can donate to the fundraiser here.

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Top image from Mothership and via social media