SINGAPORE — Lim Sock Leng has been working at a carwash in Southern Singapore for 15 years, according to The Straits Times.
The trip from her home in Woodlands to the carwash takes her over an hour, stated the article, however, she looks forward to going to work each day.
“The customers buy drinks and food, and [I have] friends here,” said Lim in the article. “I’m not bored.”
Lim is one of 30 workers with intellectual disabilities who are employed at the carwash, reported the article, which was established in 2001 by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore, or Minds.
“I think it is very successful that we’ve sustained Minds Wash for 15 years,” stated Keh Eng Song, chief executive of Minds, in the article.
Keh explained that Minds could not keep the carwash up and running without the support of the SPC petrol station in Telok Blangah, continued the article, which provides the organization with the carwash facilities at no cost.
With funds from Merrill Lynch, the carwash opened at a BP petrol station in Pasir Panjang in 2001, informed the article, and SPC acquired Singapore’s BP network three years later.
Minds Wash was moved from Pasir Panjang to its current location in Telok Blangah in 2007, added the article, where Xia Hongwei, managing director of SPC, stated “is more prominently located and in clear view of the customers.”
“Since 2004, SPC has been providing the venue to Minds Wash at no cost, with the aim of helping them integrate into society and encourage their development as independent and self-supportive individuals,” said Xia in the article.
When it first opened the carwash cleaned around 14 cars per day during the week, noted the article, and today Minds Wash cleans about 70 vehicles per day on average.
Read the entire article here.