Mr Alwis Lim, 18, spent three evenings every week between January and March this year getting to know primary and secondary school children living in rental flats in Kebun Baru.
His goal was to understand their digital needs better so that he could help them catch up with their more digitally connected peers.
He saw first-hand how these children were disadvantaged compared with their more digitally savvy friends especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: "Digital devices are a basic need now. If you've never seen a smartphone, you've never had constant Internet access, how will you know how to use (teleconferencing app) Zoom and (presentation programme) Google Slides?"
The second-year student at Singapore Polytechnic said: "We can ask friends or family members. But some of the parents of these children don't have permanent mobile subscription plans."
These observations prompted Mr Lim, who is pursuing a diploma in infocomm security management, to organise digital literacy and Zoom workshops for the children between March and June. Some were carried out in person in small groups and some entirely online.
For his contribution to the community, Mr Lim was presented yesterday with the National Young Leader Award, given out by Halogen Foundation Singapore.
He was one of five winners at an awards ceremony held at arts training centre 10 Square in Orchard Central.
Selected from a pool of 150 candidates aged 15 to 19, the 10 finalists were chosen for their strong leadership skills and contributions to the community.
Among the 10 finalists, five emerged as winners after a stringent selection process that included two rounds of panel interviews and an online voting exercise by members of the public.
Among other contributions, they initiated projects to provide free tuition to less privileged students and raise funds for patients with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease.
At yesterday's ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who was guest of honour, commended the finalists for their achievements.
He noted that young people in many societies have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, as their education has been disrupted and they struggle to find jobs.
But in Singapore, instead of letting Covid-19 define their generation, young people are determining their own paths and redefining the crisis, he said.
"Many have adapted and adjusted their plans. More importantly, they have also reached out to those around them who face even greater adversity."
In recognition of their contributions, the five award winners will be offered a six-month mentorship programme to help them further develop their projects.
