Trust Bank launches S$100,000 giving-back initiative with FairPrice tie-up
Beneficiaries learn how to use GenAI to shop and eat more healthily and affordably
[SINGAPORE] It seemed like any other Saturday morning at FairPrice Xtra at VivoCity, with families shopping for groceries. But on Saturday (Aug 23), the bill was on Trust Bank for some 50 ComLink+ beneficiaries.
Comprising families with children living in rental housing in Ang Mo Kio and Yishun, the households received S$100 each in FairPrice vouchers.
They were also accompanied by Trust volunteers who taught them how to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) – such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini – to shop and eat using healthier options. This included coming up with prompts to curate a shopping list and even meal plans with items available right there at the supermarket.
Denise Low, director of the service delivery division at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), which runs the ComLink+ initiative, said: “For some of our ComLink+ families, the opportunities to adopt and harness technology may not be there… Corporates can value-add greatly in this field by sharing things that our families may otherwise not know of, or may not have opportunities to pursue.”
The bank’s chief executive, Dwaipayan Sadhu, added that as a digital lender, Trust uses advanced technology tools on a daily basis to “deliver significant business value”.
“We see that these tools can be equally important and valuable if we use them appropriately in our daily lives. Sometimes, GenAI can feel a little intimidating to people… We want to make it relatable (and) easy to use,” he said.
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For example, people may struggle with living both healthily and affordably, and this is where GenAI can help – such as by offering tips on budgeting and staying healthy, he added.
This also helps families in need with their daily cost of living.
The introductory session to GenAI aims to provide “good tips on a variety of issues”, besides preparing healthier meals, said Low.
Trust’s tie-up with FairPrice Group marked the launch of its S$100,000 giving-back initiative, which aims to support 1,000 families in need.
The programme also commemorates the bank reaching one million customers earlier this year.
The lender will work with MSF to engage more families in its network. It will run digital and financial literacy workshops for families as well as seniors in the coming months to help them upskill, in collaboration with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
Sadhu said: “We are working with IMDA because there is a real need in Singapore to improve digital literacy. We want people to stay safe from scams (and) use digital tools smartly.”
Joanna Lam, digital readiness cluster director at IMDA, added: “From learning how to stay safe online to using GenAI for everyday tasks like planning groceries, we want to give everyone the confidence to thrive in a digital future.”
Also on Saturday, five students among the beneficiaries were given awards for an art competition that Trust held to celebrate its milestone of one million customers. The winning artworks will be featured on the banking app’s login screen.
Such opportunities boost the children’s morale, give them confidence and encourage them to pursue their aspirations, noted Low.
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