How this business owner personifies the 'Tin Man' with a heart of gold

It was the first week of April last year and the start of the circuit breaker period. Mr Kabir Hossain and his wife, Ms Nuriya Begum, noticed many posts on Facebook from migrant workers seeking food deliveries as many of them were confined to their dorms.

Mr Hossain is the owner of Brooklynz Stainless Steel, an Honouree in the Brands For Good 2020 awards under the Business For Good category, which produces stainless steel products from fences to handrails. At that time, production had come to a halt due to the nationwide shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Moved by the plight of these migrant workers, Mr Hossain and his wife began responding to some of their requests, purchasing and then delivering food items to the workers at their personal expense. They spent more than $24,000.

As the circuit breaker period coincided with the fasting month for Muslims, the couple added dates and puffed rice (a traditional Bengali snack popular during Ramadan) to the food packages, as well as lungi (also known as a sarong), prayer mats, and even chanachur (a spicy snack mix) as treats for the recipients.

Non-Muslim workers received packages filled with cup noodles, cakes and biscuits. The care packages also included homemade cakes, as well as watermelon and fruit juice to ensure the workers had a nutritious meal.

Personalised care packs

The couple operated as a two-person team, preparing each package with care, and often personalising them according to specific requests they received via multiple channels: Facebook, WhatsApp and SMS. Hoping to reach out to more migrant workers in need, Mr Hossain even posted his phone number on Facebook and urged other workers to reach out for assistance.

Mr Hossain also started receiving shopping requests for other items: travel bags, clothing and mobile phones. Instead of seeing the additional tasks as an inconvenience, the couple did what they could to leave no list unfulfilled. For over seven weeks, their morning routine was to consolidate the shopping lists that came in the day before and then plan the shopping and delivery routes.

But as the number of requests grew, Mr Hossain and Ms Begum soon realised that a better system was needed to accurately and promptly manage the increasing volume.

Outreach goes high-tech

Within days, the Brooklynz Community Support (BCS) website was launched. Simple and easy to navigate, it allows users to key in their mobile phone numbers to access a list of items available for delivery and indicate special requests in a separate section.

The site has expanded to more than just a shopping page - migrant workers can now use it to apply for passport renewal and even send money overseas. The site also allows suppliers to sign on as a partner and the public to make donations. A mobile application "BCS SG WAY" was also created and launched on both Apple and Google Play stores to offer the workers an additional channel for support.

Rolling out so many initiatives in such a short time was no mean feat, especially since Mr Hossain and Ms Begum also had to care for their two children, aged one and five. Despite that, the couple made sure that more than 9,000 packages were delivered over the circuit breaker period. On several occasions during the fasting month, Mr Hossain would drive for 12 hours straight to cope with the high demand.

But the humble man refuses to claim credit. Instead, he affectionately thanks his wife for initiating BCS and gratefully acknowledges the support they have received from various parties: a local team member who joined them on their food deliveries, other companies who offered transportation, and non-governmental organisation Operation Hope Foundation, which helped send packages to some 800 workers.

Carrying on his social mission

The worst of the pandemic in Singapore seems to be tapering off and the construction sector is gradually restarting. Likewise, Brooklynz Stainless Steel has resumed operations, with all of Mr Hossain's employees back at work.

But although BCS was created to serve a specific need during the circuit breaker, Mr Hossain feels his social mission is not over. He is looking at improving the BCS mobile app to continue supporting migrant workers. The passport application and renewal function will be upgraded to offer updates on application status, and new functions will be developed so that users can remit funds to their home countries at minimal or no cost, as well as connect with potential employers.

https://www.brandsforgood.asia/brooklynz