[Lianhe Zaobao] 不遗漏有需要者 国大学生自掏数千元买口罩送暖
Fourth-year Information Systems undergraduate Adrian Lim from NUS Computing was featured in Lianhe Zaobao for “SG As One”, a community initiative he launched to deliver N95 masks to residents who may face difficulties collecting them during the haze.
Adrian was inspired to act by concerns for his father, a taxi driver, and his aunt, who collects cardboard, as well as others whose work exposes them to poor air quality. Speaking to Zaobao, he explained that some older residents may find it difficult to leave home or may not know where to collect masks. His initiative aims to complement existing distribution efforts by reaching those who might otherwise miss out.
Drawing on his computing knowledge, Adrian built a website where residents can request masks and members of the public can register as volunteers. The initiative also involves neighbourhood coordinators, known as “Block Hosts”, who consolidate requests within their blocks and help distribute masks to residents.
At the time of the report, more than 130 people had signed up as volunteers, with over 20 registering as Block Hosts. Adrian coordinated requests and deliveries through WhatsApp, matching volunteers with residents based on their locations. He also used AI to help plan manpower deployment and delivery routes.
After encountering long delivery times for online orders, Adrian spent about S$5,000 of his own money purchasing masks from local resellers. He told Zaobao that, as the founder of vending machine company Vector Vending, he hoped to use his resources to give back to the community.
For Adrian, the initiative’s value lies in whether it helps people in need, rather than how large it becomes.