IB student community service Singapore is what Nathan Alexandro Tjhe, 17, turned into a globally recognised initiative supporting migrant workers. The Anglo-Chinese School (International) student turned a Sunday afternoon observation into a globally recognised initiative supporting migrant workers. Nathan Alexandro Tjhe, an IB student in Singapore, was already thinking about how to help the migrant workers he saw alone on Sundays in Singapore. They would gather in areas of the city with nowhere comfortable to go. Two years later, that simple observation has become a community service project that has won awards. It even got a grant from the International Baccalaureate.
How This IB Student Community Service Project in Singapore Began
Nathan moved to Singapore from Indonesia in 2022. He started attending the Anglo-Chinese School, and something caught his attention. Every Sunday, hundreds of workers would gather in small areas of the city. They had nowhere to go and not much money to spend on themselves. Nathan said, “I saw hundreds of them crowded in areas of the city.” This is what gave him the idea for a project. He was 15 at the time. His school’s Values in Action and CAS programme helped him turn this idea into something
What the Peduli Initiative Does
The Peduli Initiative started in 2025. The name comes from the word for care. The project does two things: it helps meet the basic needs of Indonesian migrant workers in Singapore and creates a sense of community for them. Nathan and his friends collect donated items. Sell them online or in person. The money they make goes towards care packages. These packages have things like noodles, snacks and toothbrushes. These may seem like ordinary things, but they mean a lot to someone who sends most of their money back home and has little to show for their one day off.
A US$2,500. A First for His School
On April 24 2026, Nathan and his team got a US$2,500 grant from the IB Global Youth Action Fund. They were one of 110 projects chosen from over 1,100 applications. This was a great deal. The IB Global Youth Action Fund is very competitive. It only recognises projects that go beyond what is expected. Nathan’s project did that.
Growing Beyond Singapore
What started as a school project has grown in ways Nathan probably did not expect. He took the Peduli Initiative back to his hometown of Pontianak in West Borneo. Now it helps orphanages, nursing homes, and communities affected by floods. The volunteer network has grown to include students from many countries. In September 2025, Nathan was named one of the National Integration Council’s 60 Young Leaders. He was recognised for his contributions to the community.
What Happens After Graduation
Nathan and his team will graduate in November 2026.. The Peduli Initiative will continue. A new group of students is already getting ready to take over. They plan to offer medical check-ups, haircuts and educational workshops for migrant workers in Singapore. Nathan said, “I hope my story shows that young people can make a difference on a level through hard work and caring for others.”
What IB Students Can Take From This
A lot of IB student community service projects in Singapore never go beyond the minimum. Nathan’s story is a case study in what happens when someone treats it as something worth building. The Peduli Initiative did not start with funding, connections, or a polished plan. It started with one student paying attention to something real and using the framework his school already gave him to act on it. That is a replicable approach. The IB Global Youth Action Fund opens annually. If you are an IB student in Singapore working on a genuine community service project, it is worth looking into.
