More Than A Coin Bank: Our Journey with The Community Tabung
Singapore’s Child Development Account (CDA) matches every dollar saved by their parents. This has given many children a head start. But the scheme rests on the premise that parents have some money to save. When Jolene, a fundraiser in Beyond became a new parent, she set up the account for her child and watched her savings double with each deposit. It was a gift for which she was deeply grateful. But as her child’s account grew, she wondered if the children of the families in the community we serve would also be able to benefit from this savings programme. She found that many families in our communities didn’t have any savings to set aside. The benefits of the scheme weren’t reaching the very people who needed it, not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t have the means to access it.
That simple reflection planted a seed.
Another team member picked up the idea and began shaping it into something more — rallying others across our community. Together with parents, neighbours, donors, and staff, they co-created a way forward. By 2013, The Community Tabung was piloted at our Healthy Start Child Development Centre: a community-led savings initiative built on the belief that no one has to walk alone.
A Culture of Collective Care
The programme was simple. Parents and children contributed whatever they could into their own tabung which they took home to save at their own pace. Alongside this, a collective community tabung was placed at the centre for anyone to contribute. Each month, neighbours pooled their savings. A single dollar could grow sixfold.
Community Tabung, 2017: Families, children, volunteers, and partners gathered to celebrate the spirit of saving together. Second from left: Uros, from Sonja Hope Foundation, one of our long-time partners who continue to support the Community Tabung each year. Their steadfast support has helped sustain this meaningful initiative across neighbourhoods.
The total contributions were matched by long-time supporters like the Sonja Hope Foundation, and then matched once again by the government through the CDA. One nearby resident still walks to the centre monthly to place his donation in the box, because it matters to him that children in the neighbourhood get a stronger start.
What made the Tabung impactful wasn’t just about the math. It was about who showed up. Volunteers, neighbours, and staff chipped in. Some dropped coins in the coin bank regularly. Others gave quietly when they could. Counting days became a community ritual. Children sorted coins. Parents watched balances grow.
But more than that, they got to know one another. Small conversations sparked friendships. Kids made new playmates. And in those simple, shared moments, a sense of community quietly bloomed.
Expanding From the Centre to the Neighbourhoods
By 2017, the programme had grown beyond the walls of HSCDC. The Tabung was replicated in other neighbourhoods we serve as community-led programmes. If a family had a tight month, neighbours often stepped in to make sure no child was left out.
Each neighbourhood adapted the Tabung to its own rhythm, but the shared principle remained: save together, match together, benefit together.
Adapting Through COVID-19
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, physical tabung counting days had to stop. But the programme didn’t pause. Parents switched to contributing through PayNow. The savings process went online, but the intent stayed the same.
While there’s something special about coming together in person, the digital process has made participation easier for some. For those managing busy schedules or juggling caregiving duties at home especially, being able to contribute online means they don’t get left behind. Community can grow in many ways, and digital tools have helped make that growth more inclusive.
2024: A Growing Community Effort
The Tabung is now active in eight neighbourhoods. In 2024, the Community Tabung supported children across both online and onsite platforms. Families contributed nearly one-sixth of the total pool, the rest was supplemented by matching contributions by donors, $63,181 was disbursed into children’s CDA accounts.
During the year, 144 children in two neighbourhoods participated in the online Tabung programmes. The six other neighbourhoods, including HSCDC, which continued their in-person Tabung saw participation by 143 children.
The Community Tabung will continue to evolve. It is our hope that with digitalisation, coordination will be smoother to reach out to more in all neighbourhoods or for donors to match the savings. But the purpose remains unchanged: families coming together to support one another, so that every child has a better chance and no one has to walk alone.