This made my day: Free assessment books and exam papers placed outside West Coast home win praise

On a quiet weekday afternoon in West Coast, a primary school student walked passed a house where boxes of free assessment books and exam papers were left out for anyone in need.

Curious, she stopped to see if there was anything that could help her with her upcoming exams.

Asked if it was her first time checking the materials, she smiled and shook her head.

"I usually walk this path on my way home, and ever since I noticed the free books, I occasionally stop to check them out. They are useful, and it helps me save money too," she told AsiaOne, adding that some of the contents in the box include past-year exam papers, which are typically harder to find.

This heartwarming gesture of generosity comes from a family of four living in a terrace house in West Coast. They have been consistently giving away assessment books and papers to those in need since 2022.

Speaking to AsiaOne, the owner of the house, Ken Yeo shared that the idea of giving out study materials came from his two children after they found a carton of brand-new assessment books in the storeroom while doing a routine clean up. 

"My two kids came up with the idea of leaving the books outside our home for schoolchildren to take for free. There's a neighbourhood school just down the road, and students often walk past our house on their way to the MRT station," said the 52-year-old businessman.

He added that the idea had been well received, as he noticed that some of the educational materials had already been taken on several occasions. 

"My wife and I believe education is very important, and we noticed that many parents buy so many assessment books and past-year test papers for our kids to practise. Often, they end up unused or only halfway used due to the lack of time before exams," Yeo explained.

"So, instead of wasting money, why not pass them on for free to others who might need them?"

'Learn to not to take things for granted'

Yeo's eldest child, Kaylea, 14, told AsiaOne that she was inspired to give away the assessment books to help others do well academically.

"I want to help other students do well in their exams too. In order to collate more materials, I even went to ask my friends for past assessment books and test papers," said the Methodist Girls' School student.

Kaylea's younger sibling, Jerald, who is taking his PSLE this year, also shared his thoughts about supporting fellow students. 

"I know the stress of studying, especially since I'm taking my PSLE this year and I want to play a part in helping others," said the 12-year-old student from Henry Park Primary School.

Ken's wife, Joey Lim, who is in her early 40s, pointed out that it was a great initiative for the kids to understand the importance of education and also to learn the value of giving back to the community. 

"The children needs to understand that they are fortunate to have assessment books and past year papers to assist them," said the logistics planner. 

"Not everyone is lucky to have the education they need, so they should learn to not take things for granted and help others whenever they can."

Lim told AsiaOne that, prior to giving away assessment books and exam papers, the family had started a similar initiative several years ago during the pandemic, setting up food pantries at rental flat estates, including locations like Bukit Merah and MacPherson for the underprivileged. 

"We started this initiative called 'The Unmanned Free Food Pantry' during Covid-19, where my husband and I would distribute groceries to anyone in need at rental flat estates, and it is still ongoing," said Lim. 

They have been working on this initiative, alongside several volunteers, since 2020.

The couple forks out about $200 for each Unmanned Free Food Pantry run and they have spent close to $30,000 to date, with no plans to stop this initiative. 

"We want our kids to learn from us and carry on giving back in the future. Like they say, kindness begets kindness," Yeo added.

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

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