It’s been said that we no longer learn to fix our broken bowls, but countering that point is nascent initiative Repair Kopitiam, a regular community meet-up event where people come together and literally repair spoilt or damaged household items.
Held every last Sunday of the month, all are welcome to bring their goods and join the complimentary repair sessions where voluntary repair coaches and participants collaborate to salvage these broken equipment. Repair Kopitiam hasn’t got a fixed location yet, and neither is it held in a coffee shop. Instead, they currently exist as a pop-up at various regions across our island. And the event will head to three different spots in East, West and Central Singapore this Mar 29, having cancelled the February session due to the Covid-19 DORSCON Orange alert.
But that doesn’t mean folks have got to wait till March to get something fixed. Feel free to head over to a Facebook page the organisers also run, named Love Your Barang? Fix Your Barang!, and get tips and tricks on how to fix the goods yourself at home. Repair coaches and the community at large are more than happy to offer free advice for those who seek. Plus, participants who’d prefer getting a diagnosis of their broken items can do so before heading down, to prevent any disappointment.
Led by the Sustainable Living Lab (SL2), a social innovation enterprise that develops solutions for organisations and communities to develop and live more sustainably, this initiative guides locals in a fun and accessible manner to upcycle rather than bin. It helps conserve goods too, by giving them a new lease of life. So if you have something that’s repairable, don’t be shy to ask for help. Just head down an upcoming Repair Kopitiam.
Repair Kopitiam runs every last Sunday of the month. More information available here.
