SINGAPORE, Nov 14 — He is often seen in the Boon Keng neighbourhood engaging with residents, chatting with residents about their concerns.
At 17, Jovan is already being recognised for his efforts to engage residents and advocate for improvements in his neighbourhood.
The grassroots volunteer regularly goes on neighbourhood walkabouts, speaking to residents to better understand their needs and identify issues that require attention.
His work was recently featured on Gen Z Crash Course, a Mediacorp series exploring issues and experiences faced by Gen Z.
In the episode, Jovan is joined by YEA 93.3FM radio jockey Gao Mei Gui, whom he takes along on one of his regular walks to give her a glimpse into his day-to-day activities.
While his efforts may seem like simple conversation with residents, they have led to tangible improvements in the neighbourhood.
Jovan makes a conscious effort to approach residents, particularly seniors, then brings their feedback to the relevant town council — following up on their requests to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed.
He attributes his ability to engage with elderly residents to growing up around older folk.
His Instagram account, @jovantang_sg, which he describes as his “public-facing” platform, also serves as a channel for him to document his community work.
The account features summaries of residents’ concerns, updates on neighbourhood improvements and announcements of small gatherings for people to raise issues and discuss matters affecting the community.
He also uses the platform to publicise self-arrange meet-and-greet sessions.
Effecting change to improve seniors’ safetyDuring his walkabout with Gao, Jovan highlighted two improvements made by the Jalan Besar Town Council following the feedback he had received from residents.
The first involved installing three speed bumps on a road near a HDB block, after seniors and students raised concerns about speeding vehicles.
Within a few weeks of raising the concerns, the speed bumps were installed to slow down traffic and make the road safer for pedestrians.
Another improvement was the addition of a yellow line marking a step between a void deck and the pavement, helping seniors better identify the change in elevation and avoid potential falls.
Jovan acknowledged that there are still neighbourhood concerns waiting to be addressed, but added that meaningful change takes time and not every issue can be resolved immediately.
Dealing with ‘bad press’In the video, Gao approaches several students, asking if they are able to recognise Jovan.
While a few did not, they still maintained that his actions were inspiring and important to the community, encouraging him to keep going.
His community work has also earned praise from netizens, although not all the attention has been positive.
Jovan told Gao that he was initially unsure how to handle negative comments, particularly when his intentions were simply to address residents’ concerns.
Nevertheless, he remains undeterred, drawing motivation from his passion for helping others and his belief in the work he does.
Currently pursuing a diploma, he hopes to deepen his involvement in community work and continue being an impactful agent of change in the community.
AsiaOne has contacted Jovan for more information. — AsiaOne
