My Schoolbag
My Schoolbag, focuses on providing schoolbags containing school and daily necessities to underprivileged schoolchildren with funding support from CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF).
From 2009 to 2017, CHF has donated about S$4.1 million in support of the ‘My Schoolbag’ programme. The programme has reached out to over 147,000 children beneficiaries in various countries including Singapore, China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
- The programme was launched in June 2009 in Singapore and initially named "Back to School". CHF donated S$25,000 to kick start the inaugural programme which aimed to provide direct aid for 200 needy children whose families had been adversely affected by the economic downturn. Under the guidance of staff volunteers, schoolchildren beneficiaries "bought" school and daily necessities such as shoes, schoolbags, stationery and food items using CapitaVouchers.
- 2010: The programme expanded to benefit more than 11,000 underprivileged children in Singapore and China with a total donation of S$320,000.
- 2011: The programme saw more than S$500,000 being donated to nearly 19,000 underprivileged schoolchildren in countries where its malls operate, namely Singapore, China, India, Malaysia and Japan.
- 2012: More than S$500,000 was donated to benefit over 20,000 underprivileged children in Singapore, China, India, Malaysia and Japan.
- 2013: My Schoolbag was extended to Vietnam for the first time, 180 students from CapitaLand Nang Yen Primary Hope School received new schoolbags. CHF donated a total of about S$470,000 to over 21,000 underprivileged children in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Japan, India and Vietnam.
- 2014: Through the tie-up with China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, My Schoolbag programme in China canvassed for public donations for the first time. Along with pledges from CHF, Chinese shoppers made donations close to S$30,000 to purchase schoolbags and stationery for the schoolchildren. In total, My Schoolbag benefitted about 18,000 underprivileged children in five countries, and the donation amount from CHF was about S$545,000.
- 2015: CHF donated S$600,000 to benefit over 18,500 children across Singapore, China, Malaysia, Japan and India. In Singapore, CHF collaborated with the People’s Association and five Community Development Councils for the fifth consecutive year to benefit 1,000 children from low-income families. In China, CHF partnered China's largest and most used Internet service portal, Tencent, to canvass for public donations for My Schoolbag. Under this collaboration, CHF matched every RMB1 donated by the public through Tencent’s online and social media platforms with RMB99 to sponsor a schoolbag package worth RMB100 for one child. Including the matching donations, CHF pledged more than RMB1.59 million in donations to My Schoolbag, which went to purchasing schoolbags and stationery for about 16,000 first grade pupils from about 200 schools across China, including 23 CapitaLand Hope Schools.
- 2016: CapitaLand established the CapitaLand - People's Association Community Development Fund with CHF, making a donation of S$800,000 to the Fund. Launched by Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin at Raffles City Singapore in conjunction with CapitaLand's fourth annual CapitaLand Volunteer Day, the Fund will support underprivileged children in Singapore through three key programmes; My Schoolbag, Kids' Food Fund and CapitaLand Young Architect.
