When Mr Michael Tan, a resident living near Serangoon Garden Secondary School (SGS), ran out of space to plant cacao trees in his garden, the determined plant parent had to think out of the box. That was when the school’s backyard caught his eye.

The retiree, who was operating a cacao post-harvest facility in the Philippines in 2019, thought the sloping, shaded plot of land was ideal as cacao trees thrive with good drainage and indirect sunlight. So, he met with the then-principal Mdm Valerie Goh and Vice Principal (Admin) Mr Zainal Abidin Mahmood. Mdm Goh gave the go-ahead and the 1.5-year-old seedlings were transplanted in July 2021.

A timely partnership that coincided with the Ministry of Education’s sustainability programme

While the onset of the pandemic caused the delay in SGS’s partnership plans with Mr Tan, it also resulted in it serendipitously taking root in the same year that MOE introduced the Eco-Stewardship Programme. The initiative prompts schools to use their green spaces more intentionally.

For SGS, it meant turning their green spaces into vegetable, herb and spice gardens maintained by the Earth Club, a newly-formed co-curricular activity (CCA) then. Naturally, its members were the first to get wind of Mr Tan’s proposition.

“The students’ first question was: You can grow cacao trees in Singapore? They didn’t believe us when we said we could turn the pods into chocolate bars,” recalls Ms Wee Lip Hui, Subject Head of Social Studies who oversees the eco-stewardship programme. She also wanted to set realistic expectations for the students, so she told them, “For that to happen, everyone has to do their part to care for the trees and get a good harvest.”

As the club knew nothing about cacao trees then, they got Mr Tan to impart his knowledge through workshops and hands-on demonstrations, showing the students the ropes until they could care for the trees independently. For Mr Tan, the takeaway he wants for students is simple: “I hope it enriches their learning journey.”

“The entire process aligns to SGS’s ‘I know, I do, I advocate’ approach for eco-stewardship, which encourages students to learn, practise, and contribute to building a sustainable Singapore,” Ms Wee adds.

Mr Tan held workshops and demonstrations to show SGS students how to care for the cacao trees.

Three years of waiting – and learning

In the whole three years that it took for the cacao trees to mature, the Earth Club CCA members tended to the trees throughout the week and took extra care to check on them before weekends and school holidays. 
The trees themselves stood quietly, witnessing semesters and cohorts of students that came and went. Then, in 2024, the elusive cacao pods finally appeared.

From left, Earth Club CCA students pose with the cacao trees after pruning them, and cacao tree pods.

“The students were in awe when they saw their efforts coming to fruition after years,” says Ms Wee. “It was a powerful lesson in perseverance – one of our school values – as students realised, through nurturing the cacao trees themselves, just how much time, care and dedication goes into producing even a single piece of chocolate.”

The students also weren’t the only ones excited about the trees. As cacao pods give off a sweet scent, squirrels were also drawn to them. The students tried putting up a scarecrow, tying bells to the tree branches, and even wrapping the tree trunk with aluminium foil to deter the squirrels. None of it worked – until Mr Tan suggested wrapping a soft-flexi wire mesh around the cacao pods to prevent the squirrels from biting them, and trapping the animals in cages; he then personally drove them to Lower Pierce Reservoir to release them.

Clockwise, from top left: Students sprayed organic pesticides, wrapped the pods in metal mesh, put in traps, as well as covered the pods with plastic bags to deter squirrels and other animals from getting to the fruits.

“Initially, some students who weren’t from the Earth Club tried to release the squirrels because they thought they were stuck,” Ms Wee says.

To address this, the principal had to make an announcement to all the students at assembly, to ask them to not release the squirrels and reassure them that the animals would be relocated safely. Protecting the cacao trees thus became everyone’s business.

The Earth Club CCA students, naturally, got involved too.

“My CCA mates and I would plan presentations about the cacao trees during our weekly meetings, and deliver them to our schoolmates at assembly and visitors to the school,” says Sunny Tay, a Sec 4 student and President of the Earth Club CCA, who hosted Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, when he visited the school.

More than just a sweet treat

Tapping on Mr Tan’s connections within the community, the school sent its first harvest of cacao pods to Lemuel Chocolate in 2024. The local bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker used the pods to conduct workshops for the public, and even allowed Secondary 3 SGS students to experience working at the establishment, as part of the school’s annual work-shadowing programme.

Students not only gained work experience, but also the satisfaction of seeing SGS’s cacao pods in the hands of delighted customers. “It truly felt like a meaningful partnership between the school and the community, making the experience especially rewarding for our students,” adds Ms Wee.

SGS students at a learning journey at Lemuel Chocolate.

In 2025, SGS went on to partner local chocolatier, Mr Bucket. At their cafe, students assisted with preparing displays, recommending selections, and serving customers.

“It was our first time working with a school to grow cacao trees right here in Singapore,” says Mr Jerome Penafort, founder of Mr Bucket. “We’ve always been working directly with our farming partners across Asia, but seeing students take on the role of nurturing cacao trees locally feels very special for us.”

It was an eye-opening experience for Zavier Kuek, a Sec 4 student who worked at Mr Bucket last December. He shares, “I learnt how to differentiate between good and poor-quality chocolate.”

For another Sec 4 student Ashley Ng, the experience made her realise that working with people was the real test. “I had to step out of my comfort zone to talk to people and promote the products, and learn the art of hospitality when interacting with guests.”

The Mr Bucket x SGS limited-edition chocolate bars.

Mr Bucket helped turn the school’s second cacao harvest into 30 chocolate bars with the origin denoted as “Serangoon Garden, Singapore”.

A quote, “We’re the dreamers. We’re the makers of dreams”, from Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was printed on the packaging.

Mrs Patsy Ong, Principal of SGS, says she chose the quote because it captures the surreal feeling when the students and staff who have looked after the trees for years finally tasted the fruits of their labour – one of the first made-in-Singapore, bean-to-bar chocolate. They were able to do so only because of the community that came together to support them. At the same time, it is also reflective of students’ journey of growth in SGS, in line with the school vision of “Learners with Grit, Leaders with Heart.”

Ms Wee adds, “Back in 2021, producing chocolate bars felt like a distant dream – we were focused on ensuring the trees survived. Today, seeing that dream realised is incredibly meaningful.”

Photos courtesy of: Serangoon Garden Secondary School