Exciting to see old books get a second chance, says volunteer at FairPrice textbook donation drive

SINGAPORE – Since 2020, Jewel Kee and her family have been spending a big part of the December school holidays sorting second-hand books for donation.

“It excites me to see old books given a second chance,” 11-year-old Jewel said.

The Yu Neng Primary School pupil is the youngest volunteer at the yearly FairPrice Group (FPG) Share-A-Textbook drive this year.

“I love reading, so I’ll search for storybooks too. If I see one that catches my eye, maybe I’ll bring it home,” Jewel added.

The FairPrice Group textbook drive is in its 42nd edition. Since 1983, more than seven million textbooks have been donated to more than 280,000 students, said FPG.

Pre-loved textbooks were collected at nine FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets, Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre and community hub Vidacity from Nov 16 to 30.

After that, the books were sorted according to level and subject by more than 2,000 volunteers and FPG staff at Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre in Yishun.

Books that were torn, scribbled on or out of syllabus were rejected from the drive and recycled.

On Dec 7 and 8, members of the public can pick up donated books at Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre from 9am to 7pm.

On the morning of Dec 7, over a thousand people showed up to collect books.

Ms Har Sien Fong, 42, came with her 11-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter. It was the manicurist’s first time at the drive, after hearing about it from a friend who was a volunteer.

Ms Har said: “Textbooks are expensive, so this drive is helping us to save money. It’s also environmentally friendly because it helps prevent books from being thrown away.”

Jewel’s mother Elina Gwee began donating books in 2016 after learning about it on Facebook.

In 2019, she and her son, Joshua, now 18, signed up as volunteers. A year later, Jewel also volunteered. She was only seven at the time.

“Volunteering for charitable causes is an important part of character building,” said Ms Gwee. “It’s also like a three-in-one deal. We can donate our books, volunteer to sort books and receive donated books.”

Her son, a student at Temasek Polytechnic, said: “It’s more meaningful than just staying home or hanging out with friends. I feel that young people should do more such work.”

Another volunteer, Riann Wales, 13, said: “There are some people who cannot learn because they don’t have the books. By volunteering, I am helping to ensure people get the materials they need.”

Ms Cherie Chong, FPG’s lead for community engagement and sustainability, said: “With Share-A-Textbook, we aim to educate students and parents about the importance of sustainability and circularity.

“By providing an opportunity to support communities in need, we can make a real difference together.”