In this heartwarming initiative, we partnered with our key customer Golden Ocean to revitalize a neglected piece of land and cultivate it into a thriving community vegetable garden.

Our Lady of Divine Providence Home provides shelter for 25 young girls. The home is a residential facility for street children who suffer from malnutrition, poverty, and danger. The home had an adjacent plot of land that was abandoned for a long time, having been a waste dump before better disposal methods were introduced. With limited funds and resources to clear the area, it stayed idle for years until Wilhelmsen Ship Management suggested to turn it into a community vegetable garden.  

On its premises lies a neglected plot of land, once a dumping ground for waste converted into a vegetable garden   

The idea of creating a vegetable garden to provide a sustainable source of food supplies and learning space for the children was warmly embraced by the home. The proposal quickly took off into execution and we are grateful to our key customer, Golden Ocean for their financial support to co-fund the development of this project with us.  

From left to right: Capt. Vinod, Senior Operations Manager at Golden Ocean; James Yeap, Head of Technical at Golden Ocean; and Duke Khoo, General Manager of Wilhelmsen Ship Management, joined the action with our seafarers  

Our seafarers from near and far generously volunteered their time and energy to clear and prepare the land for vegetable farming. Many with strong experience in gardening have lent their expertise to ensure the success of this project.

Clearing the land and constructing vegetable beds are labor-intensive tasks, generously undertaken by our dedicated crew  

After careful consideration of sunlight, soil, and water requirements, six varieties of vegetables – Cabbage, Okra, Eggplants, Moringa, Mango and Tomatoes were selected to thrive in the conditions. Saplings of these vegetables were purchased and planted in the newly constructed vegetable beds, crafted by our seafarers.

Saplings for planting and our crew has also prepared to create more sprouts for more variety of plants   

As part of the project, training and guidance were provided to the caretakers and children to ensure proper maintenance and care of the vegetable garden for a successful harvest.

The completion of the project was met with joy and anticipation for the future

But our work doesn't stop here. Together with Golden Ocean and our dedicated seafarers, we are committed to supporting ongoing improvements to enrich the lives of the children and upgrade the facilities at the home.

A huge thank you to all seafarers who generously volunteered their time and efforts for this project. Your support has truly left lasting impact on the home.  

This initiative has brought together our customer, seafarers, and community in a shared mission to make a positive impact, and we look forward to the bountiful harvests and continued collaboration ahead.