Meet Adrian Foo, a Year 2 Sociology student from NTU-USP. The 22-year old is passionate about dance, and he has been expressing himself through the art over the past 13 years. In 2019, Adrian launched a community service initiative termed the Five Cents Project as a way to transform our disregard for five-cent coins into something meaningful. Read on to discover how he managed to amass over $700 worth of five-cent coins!
Interview By: Bai Yingzhi & Woo Bing Ming
Written By: Germaine Chong
Photos By: Woo Bing Ming
“I told myself that I was going to pick up all the five cents coins that I see and donate it to charity. I termed that idea the Five Cents Foundation.”
Can you tell us a bit more about the Five Cents Project?
The idea for Five Cents Project first came about when I was 10 years old. I was walking, and I saw this coin on the ground. As I got closer, it turned out to be a five cents coin. I remember seeing this man walking past without even noticing it. I got very curious – why were people not noticing this coin on the ground? So, I told myself that I was going to pick up all the five cents coin that I see and donate it to charity. I termed that idea the Five Cents Foundation. However, soon enough I forgot about it because you know, when you are 10, you don’t keep to your words.
I got reminded of this idea when I was in a self-development programme by AsiaWorks at the start of this year (2019). The question by the host was, “What is your vision for the world?” When I was at the front and centre of the stage, ready to share, the Five Cents Project idea surfaced and I was quite shocked because I totally forgot about it. When we moved on to the next phase of the workshop, I felt that it was only natural for me to take action and to turn that into reality. I also wanted to see what I can do for the people around us.
How did you get the Five Cents Project going?
I first started by sending messages to my friends through WhatsApp and the reception was pretty good. People started passing me five-cent coins, and soon enough, more and more funds were accumulated.
What would you say was the biggest achievement or milestone that you have achieved with this project?
The biggest achievement I would say would be the first two to three months, where I actually raised $700. So, that is around 14,000 five-cent coins in total. I don’t think that it would have been possible without the support of the people around me.
Where did your first donation go to?
The money goes to Happy People Helping People, an organisation that is fully run by volunteers to support elderly cardboard collectors. The organisation pays hawker stalls money in advance, so that the elderly cardboard collectors can always claim a warm meal every day.
What made you choose Happy People Helping People?
Actually, the point of the project was never really about the beneficiaries nor the amount of money I was raising. It was actually about the people who were donating, and getting them to recognise that a small contribution can go a long way. The main reason why I chose Happy People Helping People is because they are not a registered organisation. This means they don’t really receive government support or funding. I felt that it was only right for me to do whatever I can to help them because they aren’t getting a lot of support, as compared to other organisations that are able to receive government funding.
What are some challenges and problems that you encountered in this project?
There are three main challenges in this project, but one of it has been resolved. The first one I faced was to turn the five-cent coins into usable funds. In order to do so, I emailed several banks to ask for a waiver. However, only one responded with a one-time waiver. That was a challenge because I could not always ask for waivers. Thankfully, Certis Cisco offered to do coin deposit services for free.
The second challenge is actually registration. This project is currently not registered or licensed, which is one major challenge because in order to get the registration, I would likely need the support of an organisation or business. That is something which I have been working on.
The third challenge is logistical issues because I have 51 collection points (in Singapore), but so far, I have been running around to collect all of them by myself. The coins usually come in bags of 4kg, so I can only go to maximum three places in a day. It also takes up a lot of time, coupled with my other commitments like school work, so that is one of the bigger challenges.
Honestly, the greatest concern for me right now is to find a direction for this project. I am not too sure where I should go on with this project – should it become a long-term organisation, or should I just stick to what it is right now? I think no matter what I do, the most important thing is to remember what the main purpose is. I think when you have the intention, there are a million ways you can go about doing it. However, you have to remember what is the whole point of the project. For me, it is to get people to recognise the ability to give.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to start their own project?
I think one piece of advice I would give to people is that you always need to remember the reason behind why you are doing things, especially when you are doing a project like this where it can be quite draining. It’s important to know the motivation and to keep yourself moving when you feel down.
You can also discover more about Adrian’s innovative Five Cents Project on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/fivecentsproject) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fivecentsproject).
About USneakPeek
USneakPeek is a series that uncovers the stories of NTU-USPians and faculty members, from globetrotting to initiating a community service project. Join us as we take a sneak peek into our very own NTU-USP community!
