SINGAPORE: Twelve-year-old Rafieq Sahin Rafizal could not bear watching strangers repeatedly empty a community fridge stocked with free milk and drinks for children from low-income families in Lengkok Bahru. So he decided he wanted to stand guard over it.
His mission soon grew into something bigger.
Today, Rafieq and three friends, aged between 11 and 14, make up the Emergency Response Team LB (Lengkok Bahru), patrolling their neighbourhood every day to keep it safe.
On their rounds, they look out for issues like indiscriminate dumping of bulky items, acts of vandalism and personal mobility devices (PMDs) being charged in common areas, which could be a fire hazard. They take photos and alert Rafieq’s mother, Marlina Yased.
The 48-year-old homemaker then informs the relevant staff in the estate so the issues can be dealt with.
Since the boys began their daily patrols in August 2025, they have helped a senior with mobility issues carry her groceries home and stepped in to defuse quarrels between children.
Earlier in 2026, they stumbled upon something more sobering.
After noticing a foul smell coming from a flat, they alerted Marlina, who informed the cleaners. Other residents also called the police.
The authorities found the decomposed body of an elderly man in the flat, Marlina said.
In August, the four boys from Gan Eng Seng Primary School will take on what they describe as the “biggest thing that has happened” to them.
They will join the National Day Parade (NDP) as part of a segment celebrating Singaporeans who help make the little red dot a better home.
For Rafieq, Aaron Sarandev, 11, Al-Mirza Danish, 12, and Didie Andiqa Muhaimin, 14, it will be their first time taking part in the annual parade.
In 2023, Rafieq’s mother, Marlina, started the community fridge with the help of sponsors for her cash-strapped neighbours. The fridge is located at the void deck of her two-room rental flat at Block 59 Lengkok Bahru.
While food and groceries are kept under lock and key, a separate fridge, which she leaves unlocked, is stocked with milk and drinks that children in the neighbourhood can grab before heading to school in the morning.
Said the mother of five: “I see some residents take a drink for themselves, that’s okay. But they empty the fridge and take three-quarters of the milk for the children.
“This happened so many times.”
Rather than getting Rafieq to guard the fridge, Marlina had another idea: send him and his friends out to patrol the neighbourhood instead.
She said: “We want to tell our neighbours there is this group of children they can reach out to.
“They can help the elderly buy things from the shops or offer help if needed. And when they patrol, they can look out for fire hazards and littering.”
Every day after school, the boys don matching vests bearing their names and the group’s logo, before setting off in pairs to patrol up to six blocks in their estate.
They stay in touch with Marlina and fellow volunteer Fahmidah Farihullah, 21, using walkie-talkies.
The team once had seven members, but now has four.
When they are not on patrol, the boys are often doing homework or playing together.
Rafieq named the group after the police’s Emergency Response Team, inspired by officers who respond to high-risk incidents.
“We can play any time,” the Primary 6 pupil said. “But we want to spend one hour of our time (every day) to serve our community.”
Didie said he joined because he “had nothing to do” and thought the project would give him something meaningful to be part of.
While some residents were sceptical about the boys’ activities, others have praised them for their efforts.
Lengkok Bahru resident Nasha Asrin, 27, a mother of five, said she was glad to see the boys looking out for their neighbours instead of loitering around the estate.
Aaron, a Primary 5 pupil, said the daily patrols have taught him responsibility and perseverance, especially on days when he does not feel like walking around but does so anyway.
Marlina, who helps to discipline and guide the boys, has also seen changes in them.
“I can see the difference in some of them,” she said. “I get feedback from their mothers that their attendance in school is more regular now and their attention span is better.
“I feel they have learnt to be more responsible.” - The Straits Times/ANN
