BOTH Singapore Pools and SP Group have donated funds to support the development of children from lower-income families.

On Saturday (Mar 9), Singapore Pools launched Project Green Shoots to support the education and healthcare needs of children from lower-income families in Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng. It donated S$122,500, with the Ministry of Social and Family Development matching the contribution on a one-for-one basis.

The total amount received – S$245,000 – will be used to top up the Child Development Account (CDA) of 350 children. Each child’s account will receive a S$700 top-up. 

Lam Chee Weng, chief executive of Singapore Pools, said: “By providing these financial top-ups, we hope to empower families in building financial stability, while enabling a better and brighter future for the children.”

The initiative was launched by the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens’ Consultative Committee Community Development and Welfare Fund at Kim Seng Community Centre.

Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo, who was the event’s guest of honour and adviser to Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Grassroots Organisation (Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng), said: “We are hopeful that the CDA top-up will not only provide immediate relief for lower-income families by supporting the educational needs of their children, but also encourage more organisations and individuals to step forward and uplift these families.”

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She added: “(The top-up) will go some way to helping the families provide even more for their children to give them the opportunities that help them grow (and) help them learn.”

Project Green Shoots’ launch took place on the sidelines of the Give and Take Market, organised by Jalan Besar GRC and Central Singapore Community Development Council. At the market, lower-income families received essential goods such as food and beverages, household necessities and toys. The goods were donated by sponsors from the retail, food and beverage, and consumer goods sectors.

Promoting sustainability literacy

In a separate event, SP Group donated S$1.1 million to non-profit organisation KidStart Singapore for educational resources to benefit 2,000 more children. These include digital devices, books, and learning activities and programmes.

The donation, made on Mar 2, will fund Green Adventures, a new initiative by KidStart and SP Group. The project aims to teach children about sustainability literacy. It was launched by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli at The Frontier Community Club in Jurong West Central, with 400 KidStart children and their parents attending.

Green Adventures will feature outdoor activities throughout the year and teach children about environmental factors that affect the world. Its key themes are caring for the sea, environment and animals.

Stanley Huang, group chief executive of SP Group, said: “(Green Adventures) is aligned with SP’s focus on empowering the community with reliable, sustainable solutions today and in the future.” 

This year is SP Group’s third year of partnership with KidStart, which supports families in early childhood development. It has been providing KidStart families with learning resources and IT tools. 

Rahayu Buang, chief executive of KidStart Singapore, said: “Over the past years, SP Group has been an invaluable partner in enabling us to implement various initiatives aimed at providing comprehensive support to children and their families… We are empowering families to embrace sustainability and environmental consciousness.”

Since 2021, SP Group has donated a cumulative amount of S$3.2 million to KidStart.