“I was not a farmer. I never even bought vegetables when my wife was around.”
To his surprise, Mr Nithyaseelan N. now finds himself surrounded by cartons of Xiao Bai Cai and Red Pak Choy, inspecting every leaf and stem for discolouration and spots, five times a week, seven hours each day.
The 66-year-old is one of four disabled employees working at MEOD, a vegetable farm in Kranji. Mr Nithyaseelan had his right leg amputated in 2016 as a result of complications from diabetes.
A year later, he wanted to work again. But as the former army instructor-turned-bus captain could no longer drive, he reached out to SPD, a local charity that serves people with disabilities, to help him find a job.
“I’m happy when I came here because we work like a family. The environment (is) very cozy, quiet, not much disturbances,” he said, adding that he is thankful that he has a job despite his lack of mobility.