PUBLISHED ONOctober 22, 2026 4:22 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangWanting to help Singaporeans combat haze across the island, this student at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has decided to take matters into his own hands.
In total, he's managed to secure 3,000 masks to be distributed to households across the country, according to a Reddit post by user Fireregin last Friday (Oct 16).
"My dad is a taxi driver and my [grandmother] loves going around collecting cardboard," he shared in the post.
"Seeing them head out during the haze hits close to home, and I know other families, outdoor workers and businesses are affected too," he added.
"I wanted to do something practical, so I started SG As One."
Speaking with AsiaOne, the computer science student, Adrian Lim, explained that SG As One was launched last Friday alongside a website that he personally designed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
While the Government has aided the community in providing masks via self-service machines and community clubs, some residents — especially elderly — have difficulty obtaining them, he told Lianhe Zaobao, citing long queues and mobility issues.
His plan, the 25-year-old shared, is to "fill the gaps", delivering masks to individuals who may have fallen through existing measures.
These individuals can submit requests for masks via the website, while other members of the public can sign up as volunteers.
Some volunteers can also sign up as representatives of their block to collect masks before distributing them to their neighbours.
He told the Chinese morning daily that he will coordinate mask distributions based on volunteers and requests across Singapore, stating that some applicants may not be able to receive masks due to limited supply.
"I also use AI to plan manpower allocation and delivery routes," Lim said, sharing that over 130 people have signed up to be volunteers while more than 20 offered to be representatives in specific HDB blocks.
Speaking on the difficulties faced in getting SG As One off the ground, Lim also explained to Zaobao that he had spent around $5,000 purchasing the 3,000 masks from local resellers, as buying masks online would require up to two weeks of delivery time.
Setting his plan in motion, Lim began on Tuesday (Oct 20) evening, where he gave around 600 masks to a representative in Macpherson.
He then worked with a volunteer to deliver around 500 masks in door-to-door visits in Ang Mo Kio.
"Seeing the smiles on the faces of the elderly makes it all worthwhile," he said.
Lim added: "I understand now the importance of giving back to society and to the elderly. I believe youth like myself should actively help those in need and contribute where we can."
AsiaOne has contacted Lim for more information.
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