Description
About the Authors
About the Tak Takut Kids Club

The Good Gang is a new book from 3Pumpkins that offers a rare, ground-level view of childhood in Singapore’s heartlands. It tells the stories of 10 children who grew up with Tak Takut Kids Club (TTKC), a safe and happy neighbourhood community space for children. Their lived experiences are interwoven with insights into systems of support—from education to social services and community relations—offering a nuanced view of Singapore’s social mobility landscape, its gaps, and its possibilities for change.

The stories are organised into three sections. “Stories Children Carry” offers a trauma-informed look at the adversities children face in their daily lives — often unnoticed and unheard. “Keeping Them Whole” shares the experiences of children living with mental health struggles and sheds light on what helps them to keep going. “The Value of a Child” presents thought-provoking stories of children with different abilities, inviting readers to rethink how we invest resources to support them.

“Even when we act in the best interests of children, we may still not fully understand how they feel, think and move through the world,” says Lin Shiyun, founder of TTKC and co-author of the book.

Written by Lin Shiyun, Carolyn Oei and Marc Nair, with illustrations by Nicole Soh and forewords by Minister Desmond Lee and Mr. Xie Yao Quan (CEO, Quantedge Foundation), The Good Gang invites readers to see childhood with greater empathy and to imagine how we can all work together to create better opportunities for children when we truly listen to them.
Lin Shiyun is the founder and executive director of 3Pumpkins, a community arts and development charity dedicated to fostering social change through strong human connections. Since 2016, she has conducted practice action research into the experiences of children living in public rental housing, uncovering the importance of supportive social networks for their wellbeing. To address these challenges, Shiyun established the Tak Takut Kids Club (TTKC), a community-based program for children aged 7 to 14. By partnering with government agencies, schools, and healthcare providers, TTKC aims to strengthen community ties and promote resilience. Shiyun’s interdisciplinary and child-centric approach not only supports children’s growth but also offers valuable insights for urban communities seeking to enhance social mobility through local collaboration.

Carolyn Oei is an artist, educator and writer, and has a professional background in law, public relations and communications. She has taught arts management and English at the tertiary level and authored four non-fiction titles as well as copy edited four academic books. Her essays and articles have been published in Mekong Review, Jom and Asian Geographic. Carolyn is currently doing her doctoral studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Her research explores the nexus points of community development, participatory culture, government relations and environmental justice. Carolyn is a recipient of the OISE Fellowship, Wilfred Rusk Wees Fellowship and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

Marc Nair is a poet, photographer, educator and performance autoethnographer. As an artist-educator, his career has spanned over two decades, exploring ethnicity, identity and the everyday. He has taught English, Literature and creative writing at the high school, undergraduate and IB level. Marc’s poetry roots span both the page and the stage. He has represented Singapore at international slam competitions and has published 12 collections of poetry. He has also had four solo photography and poetry exhibitions. His latest photo poetry collection is Undulations (2025, Delere Press). Marc’s work explores a hybridity of form, mapping an interdisciplinary approach onto the quotidian.
Tak Takut Kids Club (TTKC) is a neighbourhood community space for children and youth aged 7 to 14 from vulnerable backgrounds. Known as the “good gang in the neighbourhood”, it is a place where young people can find a supportive community to connect, grow and thrive. TTKC began as a pilot in Boon Lay in 2019 and expanded to Lengkok Bahru in 2025.

“Tak Takut” — meaning “no fear” in Malay — reflects the hope that every child will find the courage to overcome the adversities in life. Since 2021, TTKC has reached over 500 children in Boon Lay, building a community where they feel seen, supported and unafraid to grow with confidence.

Official Webpage for more information about TTKC: www.3pumpkins.co/taktakutkidsclub.

Authors

The Good Gang: Stories from Tak Takut Kids Club