Community Development & Social Equity
Community Development & Social Equity
Ongoing projects starting in AY25/26
Embedded Files
Co-Creating a Guesthouse and Cultural Identity in Kampung Tagibang
Co-Creating a Guesthouse and Cultural Identity in Kampung Tagibang
Desa Rangers
Our project aims to address two key issues: inadequate visitor facilities and the lack of formal documentation for the Dusun-Tinagas cultural heritage.The proposed actions include constructing a guesthouse to accommodate visitors and volunteer groups, and initiatives to formally document the Dusun-Tinagas community's history and heritage.The beneficiaries are the villagers of Kampung Tagibang, who will gain improved infrastructure, increased visitor engagement, and cultural preservation. To achieve our goal, we will be working with our community partner, Pangrok Sulap, an artist collective based in Sabah to get logistical support and ensure smooth collaboration with the Kampung Tagibang community.Desa Rangers
Project Country: Malaysia
Project Supervisor: Dr Ng Keng Khoon
Group Ref: 25ADKK01R
Digital Storytelling as a Bridge of Understanding: Empowering the Bajau Laut to Tell Their Own Stories
Digital Storytelling as a Bridge of Understanding: Empowering the Bajau Laut to Tell Their Own Stories
Sabahflow
This digital storytelling project aims to amplify the voices of the Bajau Laut community and challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions that surround them. Through authentic narratives and visual storytelling, it seeks to humanize their experiences, reclaim their identity, and foster empathy and understanding among the public. Ultimately, the project also strives to equip the Bajau Laut with digital and storytelling skills, empowering them to manage and sustain their own media platforms and website, ensuring their stories continue to be told by their own community.Sabahflow
Project Country: Malaysia
Project Supervisor: Dr Ng Keng Khoon
Group Ref: 25ADKK02R
Suara Laut Semporna
Suara Laut Semporna
Sabah Fish
Our project’s main aim is to support the activities of two local NGOs, specifically Borneo Komrad and Reef Check, and better equip them in their tackling of social and environmental issues. Supporting existing efforts will maximize our impact in tackling local issues, and we intend to curate workshops to improve the soft skills of members of these NGOs. We have decided to target communication, leadership and advocacy skills for our workshops. Our initial plan is a two-day workshop on public speaking and social media. We will consolidate participant feedback and scale up the project to meet community needs. Our second project is the installation of buoys to protect coral reefs from damage. Tourist boats currently destroy coral by dropping their anchors into them. Previously installed buoys were stolen. We will attempt to install anti-theft versions which will reduce coral destruction and improve the sustainability of the local tourism industry. Sabah Fish
Project Country: Malaysia
Project Supervisor: Dr Ng Keng Khoon
Group Ref: 25ADKK03R
ZeroWaste@KKC
ZeroWaste@KKC
Mr Worldwide
ZeroWaste@KKC seeks to tackle the severe waste management crisis in Kebun Kali Code (KKC), a densely populated riverside kampung in Yogyakarta. Following the 2024 closure of the Piyungan landfill, inadequate waste collection has led residents to burn or dump trash into the Code River, worsening pollution and health risks. In collaboration with community leaders Kak Fitri and Pak Anang, our project aims to co-develop a sustainable, community-driven waste system through centralized sorting bins, regular waste collection, and educational workshops on recycling and composting. We will partner with local universities—Gadjah Mada University and Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI)—to bridge cultural and language gaps, and to strengthen community trust. There is also a viable pathway for local companies to back this project through ESG funding mechanisms. Beneficiaries include the ~7,000 residents of KKC, who will gain improved sanitation, health, and environmental awareness.Mr Worldwide
Project Country: Indonesia
Project Supervisor: Dr Kiven Strohm
Group Ref: 25ADKS02R
PROJECT: IGUANA (Inclusive Growth Using Agriculture & Nurturing Access)
PROJECT: IGUANA (Inclusive Growth Using Agriculture & Nurturing Access)
Irresistible Iguanas
Our group has chosen to address the issues of food waste and lack of access to nutritious food in Kampung Cibunut Berwarna in Bandung. Food wastage and the scarcity of vegetables are due to edible crops only being grown on a small scale. There is also the nutrition disparity gap between higher and lower-income households. Our group aims to strengthen the urban farming culture in our community, both to beautify communal spaces and to provide a sustainable source of vegetables, particularly for lower-income households. We will pursue this through two main strategies: expanding existing community gardens and distributing farming kits to individual households, guided by the principles of permaculture – maximising resources, minimising waste, and modelling the closed-loop systems found in nature. To ensure strong community engagement, we will host participatory arts-based workshops and create accessible guidebooks while gathering feedback at each stage to foster long-term ownership and sustainability.Irresistible Iguanas
Project Country: Indonesia
Project Supervisor: Dr Kiven Strohm
Group Ref: 25ADKS04R
Ripples of Change: Communities Building a Sustainable Water Future
Ripples of Change: Communities Building a Sustainable Water Future
The Merapi Collective
Our project focuses on addressing the lack of access to clean and safe water in the riverside community of Kebun Kali Code (KKC) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The polluted river is the main water source for many low-income families, causing recurring health and sanitation challenges. In partnership with Fitri, a local community leader, our team aims to improve water security through a combination of fundraising, awareness campaigns, and low-cost filtration solutions. We will raise funds via online platforms and social media outreach, co-develop simple filter systems and maintenance routines, and create educational materials on hygiene and safe water practices. This project ultimately seeks to empower residents to sustain their own clean water access, reduce preventable illness, and strengthen the community.The Merapi Collective
Project Country: Indonesia
Project Supervisor: Dr Kiven Strohm
Group Ref: 25ADKS05R
Project Active Chapters
Project Active Chapters
Project Active Chapters
Project Active Chapters aims to support the elderly in pursuing holistic well-being as they age. In Singapore, seniors face three primary challenges: 1) declining physical health, 2) weakening social ties, and 3) digital exclusion. In addition, seniors consistently express the hope to pursue personal interests and stay mentally sharp in their later years, but often lack support structures to do so. To address these various aspects of well-being, we intend to collaborate with an Active Ageing Centre to run an Active Ageing programme based on Care Corner’s Onwards To Ageing Holistically (OTAH!) framework for three months. Our programme will consist of 8 sessions with a diverse range of activities that focus on five main categories of well-being: physical, social, digital, creative, and cognitive.Project Active Chapters
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Leung Wing Sze
Group Ref: 25ADWS01
Project Meadow
Project Meadow
Strawberry Meadow
We would like to address the vulnerable labour position faced by Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in Singapore. MDWs have poor work-life balance, limited opportunities for leisure, and may have limited ability to communicate with their loved ones, causing them much stress and fatigue. Additionally, they may be subject to abuse or harassment with minimal avenues for redress. We will be engaging with the MDWs at the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) shelter. They are all female and largely hail from Myanmar and Indonesia, according to Jolovan Wham, the person-in-charge at the HOME shelter. They are typically victims of employer abuse and have ongoing investigations into their employment conditions. There will be 2 components of our project. We will first collaborate with the HOME Shelter to run weekly workshops and host excursions for the MDWs. Secondly, we will hold a public exhibition to advocate for increased protection for the workers.Strawberry Meadow
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Leung Wing Sze
Group Ref: 25ADWS02
Reshaping Narratives Amongst Drug Users in Recovery
Reshaping Narratives Amongst Drug Users in Recovery
Friends of The Greenhouse
We are working to address the stigma faced by drug users in recovery, especially those from ethnic and sexual minorities. We plan to use digital media, as well as hosting a showcase event to show that these users are capable of change. We plan to work with The Greenhouse, which is a substance recovery centre that focuses on those from ethnic and sexual minorities.Friends of The Greenhouse
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Leung Wing Sze
Group Ref: 25ADWS03
Seeds of Hope (Biji Harapan)
Seeds of Hope (Biji Harapan)
Let’s CiGONdothis
Booming economic opportunities in plastic and textile industries in Cigondewah resulted in environmental pollution, degradation of community spirit and cohesiveness, and overnarrowing of prospective career routes for future generations. This project aims to address the crux of the issue: lack of inspiration to pursue other dreams and career options.We intend to engage primarily with the teenagers within the Cigondewah community, as well as establish partnerships with other secondary stakeholders. The medium of our engagements will primarily be through workshopping with them, centred on these three themes: Waste Management, Nutrition and Entrepreneurship. Through these themes, we will like to tie it to the overall narrative of empowering the future generation of Cigondewah to translate their dreams of revitalising Cigondewah, a plastic-ridden kampung with little variety of job prospects, inspiring them as key players in the future to make a economically vibrant, eco-harmonious Cigondewah into a reality. Let’s CiGONdothis
Project Country: Indonesia
Project Supervisor: Ms Yueh Siang Chang
Group Ref: 25ADYS02R
Many Languages, One Chorus: Co-creating Arts and Community with Migrant Workers in Singapore
Many Languages, One Chorus: Co-creating Arts and Community with Migrant Workers in Singapore
Floor 1419
Our project aims to increase migrant workers’ inclusion in Singapore and bridge our local community with migrants. We hope to address the persistent social and cultural marginalisation of migrant workers in Singapore, who often face barriers to fair employment, representation, and belonging. By collaborating with our two partners, The Bright Flipside and We Are Caring, we plan to support migrant artists’ visibility through visual storytelling and social media outreach and concurrently to design participatory workshops and educational engagement with migrant domestic workers. Ultimately, we aim to highlight intersectional empowerment and lay the groundwork for an integrated project that unites structural and cultural pathways. Floor 1419
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Chand Somaiah
Group Ref: 25CCCS01
Project FoodFixers
Project FoodFixers
Team FoodFixers
Our project seeks to combat local food insecurity by redistributing surplus food from NUSC dining halls to the Ghim Moh community. Beyond reducing waste, we aim to strengthen campus-community connections and foster a sustainable culture of sharing. To streamline this effort, we plan to develop a digital platform that enables students to donate unused meal credits, track their contributions, and see their impact—encouraging continued participation. To ensure consistent supply, a rationing system will match donated credits with meal distribution schedules, avoiding uneven surpluses. In the long term, we aim to expand our initiative to pre-university institutions, offering volunteer opportunities that can be exchanged for VIA points. By combining technology, awareness, and engagement, our project envisions a scalable, community-driven model that promotes sustainability, empowers students to give back meaningfully, and provides reliable support to those facing food insecurity.Team FoodFixers
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Nurhidayahti Miharja
Group Ref: 25CCNM01
Project: Furnishing Homes
Project: Furnishing Homes
Team Furnish
In direct partnership with Homeless Hearts of Singapore, Project: Furnishing Homes is a student-led initiative that addresses a gap in the housing process for former rough sleepers. The project tackles the issue where rough sleepers transitioning into Singapore's Public Rental Scheme (PRS) flats receive a completely bare unit. Lacking the financial resources, they are often unable to afford the essential furniture needed to make the space a liveable home.The team plans to create a sustainable support pipeline by establishing collaborations with corporate partners across the furniture, logistics, and warehousing sectors. Our goal is to source donated or discounted furniture and coordinate its delivery and setup for the new residents. The primary beneficiaries are the rough sleepers who are moving into PRS flats. The project's key community partner is Homeless Hearts of Singapore, who will help identify beneficiaries and provide on-the-ground expertise.Team Furnish
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Nurhidayahti Miharja
Group Ref: 25CCNM03
Growing Microgreens in Doi Lan Village
Growing Microgreens in Doi Lan Village
Team Bobolay
Using microgreen technology for income enhancement and nutritional improvement in an economically disadvantaged upland Lisu Village in Chiang Rai, Thailand, where limited access to nutritious food and agricultural knowledge has caused poor dietary health. We will be working with a native of Doi Lan, Mimi Saeju.Team Bobolay
Project Country: Thailand
Project Supervisor: A/P Peter Vail
Group Ref: 25CCPV03R
I am MORE
I am MORE
Cook and Clean
Our project, “I am MORE,” seeks to humanize Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) in Singapore by challenging the classist and sexist biases rooted in purity ideology that often shape how they are perceived. Focusing on Filipino and Indonesian FDWs, who make up the majority of Singapore’s domestic workforce, we aim to highlight their agency, creativity, and lived experiences beyond domestic labor. The project unfolds in two phases. Phase One features FDW-led creative workshops, such as writing, storytelling, and other expressive arts, co-developed and hosted in safe, familiar community spaces. Phase Two curates these creations into a public exhibition that foregrounds FDWs’ voices alongside reflections from Singaporean participants. Partnering with Migrant Writers of Singapore (MWS), which cultivates migrant storytelling and literary expression, we build on existing spaces that empower FDWs to share their narratives and challenge stereotypes.Cook and Clean
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Shivani Gupta
Group Ref: 25CCSG02
Breaking Down the Gender Binary
Breaking Down the Gender Binary
GenderBlindary
Breaking Down the Gender Binary addresses the marginalisation and misunderstanding faced by gender-diverse people in Singapore. Despite growing visibility, social and institutional biases still restrict their access to fair employment, healthcare, and legal rights. Our project will conduct workshops with university students to explore how gender norms shape everyone’s lives, and how they often marginalise those who do not conform to them. Through focus group discussions, interactive activities, and personal sharings from gender-diverse co-facilitators, participants will gain authentic insights and engage in open dialogue about gender diversity. While our team will develop the workshop programme, it will be guided by community partners such as T-Project and TransgenderSG, and co-facilitated by LGBTQ+ student networks. Beneficiaries include both gender-diverse individuals (through increased visibility and allyship) and participating students, who will gain deeper awareness of gender inclusivity. Our project hopes to spark lasting conversations and inspire more empathetic, informed approaches to gender in everyday interactions.GenderBlindary
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Shivani Gupta
Group Ref: 25CCSG03
Child Rearing Practices in Rohingya Communities
Child Rearing Practices in Rohingya Communities
Project Nurture
The Rohingya are a stateless, predominantly Muslim ethnic group, and constitute part of the refugee community in Malaysia. They are unrecognised by the Malaysian state, and thus not offered the legal, social, and economic protections and benefits given to citizens. This presents a myriad of difficulties for Rohingya families raising children; especially mothers who shoulder most, if not all, domestic responsibilities. These mothers are often married off even as young as their early teens, and are cut off from familial structures of support as they go on to live with their husbands. Without much guidance or proper education on childcare practices, they are left unaware of the consequences of certain erroneous practices, which presents dangers to both mother and child.Our main community partner is the Rohingya Women Development Network (RWDN), an NGO led by, and that aims to empower, Rohingya women. By employing community ambassadors from RWDN as our main means of galvanising the larger community, we aim to provide Rohingya families with a tool to recognise and internalise proper post-natal and child-rearing practices—namely interactive educational booklets. These booklets will be co-developed with the help of the Rohingya community and will include visuals and QR-linked videos that circumvent limitations in language (as the Rohingya language does not have a written form). As we continue refining and making these booklets more understandable over the next 2 years, we will create a visual educational resource that promotes healthier post-natal and child-rearing practices among Rohingya mothers in Kuala Lumpur. Project Nurture
Project Country: Malaysia
Project Supervisor: Dr Tan Sok Teng
Group Ref: 25CCST02R
Wish It Forward
Wish It Forward
'A'-group
Our project addresses the issue of unequal access to toys and meaningful play experiences among underprivileged children in Singapore. Many underprivileged children grow up without toys that reflect their personal interests or developmental needs. We believe that every child deserves not only to receive toys but to receive the toys they genuinely wish for.Building on The Girl Band's (24STCH02) project, we introduce a one-to-one toy wish-matching system. We collect children’s toy requests via partner organisations such as Life Community Services Society (LCSS) and Morning Star Community Services, and post them on Carousell for donors to fulfill directly. This approach ensures that each child receives a toy they genuinely want, while donors experience a deeper sense of connection and empathy. We also aim to involve secondary schools and junior colleges in toy refurbishment.'A'-group
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Lim Chee Han
Group Ref: 25STCH02
People, Permaculture, Philippines
People, Permaculture, Philippines
Alon Saya
Our project, in partnership with Habilin Farms in Tayabas, Philippines, addresses land underutilization and environmentally harmful farming practices such as kaingin and quarrying. By introducing permaculture and agroforestry, we aim to help smallholder farmers adopt sustainable, diversified livelihoods while restoring degraded land. However, crops will need time to grow. Through workshops, community resource mapping, and digital and offline market linkages, we will empower locals—especially youth—to build alternative enterprises, including bamboo-based crafts and small agri-ventures. The project combines ecological restoration with economic self-sufficiency, positioning Barangay Ilayang Bukal as a pilot community and proof-of-concept for wider adoption across Southern Luzon.Alon Saya
Project Country: Philippines
Project Supervisor: Dr Julius Bautista
Group Ref: 25STJB01R
Project Paraluman: Mini Bamboo Bootcamps
Project Paraluman: Mini Bamboo Bootcamps
Team Paraluman
Our group intends to engage the indigenous Aeta community in Tingtingin Village, Subic Bay, Philippines, who currently face challenges in achieving sustainable income and stable livelihoods. Their reliance on traditional skills limits economic opportunities, while social prejudices and marginalisation hinder access to external support, deepening their economic struggles.To address these issues, we aim to promote community development and social equity by strengthening the Aeta community’s capacity for social, economic, and livelihood sustainability. Working closely with Make a Difference Travel, 5XD Architecture, and the organisers of Bamboo Bootcamp, we will support skills development, infrastructure improvement, and eco-tourism initiatives that enhance self-reliance. Drawing from our experience at Bamboo Bootcamp, we plan to conduct ‘Mini Bamboo Bootcamps’ focused on bamboo propagation, processing, and construction which will culminate as a bamboo infrastructure as the capstone project. Additionally, virtual and physical tour materials will be created to promote visibility and cross-cultural exchange.Team Paraluman
Project Country: Philippines
Project Supervisor: Dr Julius Bautista
Group Ref: 25STJB02R
Urban Grassroots
Urban Grassroots
Rooting for You
Our project aims to tackle the difficulty elderly residents in Chinatown face in building meaningful community spaces. This is because residents are less aware of how to enact historical, non-governmental forms of community-building, diminishing their ability to reimagine spaces into ones that are both culturally and historically meaningful. Working with commmunity partners, Kreta Ayer Residents' Network and Corridor Farmers, we intend to engage earnestly with the elderly (through Active Ageing Centres and informal arrangements) to illuminate their lived experiences in these third spaces. This aggregation would enable us to chart how their experiences changes over time, and how urban policy enables, or circumscribes ground-up socialisation. Centering our efforts around a rooftop garden space, we propose a community-involved repurposing of the space that is both historically and culturally-conscious, such as the designing and executing of murals. Alongside exhibitions of these archival data, we aim to lay the foundation for sustainable co-creation.Rooting for You
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Jerome Kok
Group Ref: 25STJK01
Project LTAD
Project LTAD
Project LTAD
Project LTAD aims to strengthen the craft chocolate ecosystem in Dak Lak, Vietnam, by addressing post-harvest and product development gaps that limit local value addition. Although Dak Lak has ideal conditions for cocoa cultivation, smallholder farmers face challenges with inconsistent fermentation, drying, and formulation due to limited facilities and technical expertise. In collaboration with local cooperatives, NGOs such as Helvetas Vietnam, and the social enterprise Why Ventures, the project will introduce improved processing methods, optimise cocoa formulations, and develop prototype products such as chocolate, cocoa butter, lip balm, etc. Field trials and training workshops will transfer technical knowledge on fermentation control and quality monitoring, enabling farmers to produce more stable, high-quality products and achieve greater income stability. Ultimately, the project seeks to empower local producers to innovate independently and contribute to the long-term sustainability and recognition of Dak Lak’s craft chocolate sector.Project LTAD
Project Country: Vietnam
Project Supervisor: Dr Jerome Kok
Group Ref: 25STJK03R
P.S. Remember Me Like This
P.S. Remember Me Like This
ABCs: Active Ageing, Bridging Bonds, Care in every Corner
Our project addresses the warped memories of individuals who have loved ones with dementia. The behavioural changes and hurtful outbursts of seniors with dementia is distressing for these individuals, when these experiences supplant prior pleasant memories. As such, they experience deep emotional conflict both before and after the senior’s passing.We are engaging the seniors who attend programmes at Care Corner Active Ageing Centre at Blk 261A Toa Payoh East. The seniors are largely above 70 years old and have dementia – of varying stages and types. Most of them are ethnically Chinese, while the rest are Indian and Eurasian. Some seniors come from low-income or disadvantaged families, though the exact proportion of such seniors was not disclosed to us. Some challenges this community faces include deteriorating cognitive and physical capabilities, and loneliness and boredom when at home. Most rely on the help of a foreign domestic helper for day-to-day life. ABCs: Active Ageing, Bridging Bonds, Care in every Corner
Project Country: Singapore
Project Supervisor: Dr Michelle Lee
Group Ref: 25STML02
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