Words and Photos by Sng Ler Jun

The Singapore Co-operative Movement Insider spotlights collaborative efforts of Singaporean co-operatives. Here, 12 co-operatives joined hands to donate 1,000 new and unused water tumblers for distribution to point-to-point drivers for the Chinese New Year.

12 Singapore co-operatives have banded together to donate their members’ new and unused clean water tumblers for a good cause.

An initiative led by women co-operators, the sustainability exercise saw more than 1,000 water tumblers donated. This marks the first public sustainability outreach event by the Singapore Co-operative Movement.

The 12 co-operatives hail from all four sectors: credit, services, campus and NTUC. They include AUPE Credit Co-operative Limited, NTUC First Campus Co-operative Limited, Straits Times Co-operative, Singapore Government Staff Credit Co-operative Society Ltd., Singapore Teachers Co-operative, Seacare Co-operative Ltd., Premier Security Co-operative Limited, Singapore Amalgamated Services Co-operative Organisation Ltd., Silver Caregivers Co-operative, Silver Horizon Travel Co-operative, Love Empowered Co-operative, and Co-operative Society of the Nanyang Technological University.

Furthermore, Singapore’s leading supermarket co-operative NTUC FairPrice also contributed tote bags to house the water tumblers.

This water tumbler donation exercise, which is to be distributed to point-to-point drivers at Singapore Changi Airport on the first day of the Lunar New Year (22 January 2023), is part of a larger partnership between the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF), the National Taxi Association (NTA) and the National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA). NTA and NPHVA are both affiliates of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), which houses several co-operatives under its umbrella.

“Our private hire and taxi drivers have continued providing essential services throughout the lunar new year despite it being a peak period for many to spend time with their family,” says Mr Ang Hin Kee, SNCF’s chief executive and advisor to both NTA and NPHVA. “Our hope is for our drivers to lead a healthier lifestyle. They do need to hydrate themselves with water more often.

“We are also grateful to have co-operatives in Singapore collaborating with us on this sustainability exercise.”

The Healthier SG initiative is the nation’s new preventive care strategy aimed at improving population health by encouraging individuals to take charge of their health.  

The event was joined by Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State for Transport, as well as Sustainability and the Environment Dr Amy Khor, and Advisor to NTA and NPHVA Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

The donation exercise, which began in late-November last year, also saw some women co-operators from TCC Credit Co-operative and A Good Space Co-operative volunteering to sort out the bottles at SNCF’s office.

One of the 56-woman nominees from last year’s SNCF’s Co-operative Movement Night Ms Maria Amri was one of the volunteers. Ms Amri, who sits on the board and takes charge of members’ engagement at TCC Credit Co-operative, says: “It’s really good to give back.”

See the full photos here: