USP alum Kia Jie Hui (BIZ + USP, Class of 2011), co-founder of Save That Pen project, was awarded this year’s National Environment Agency (NEA)’s EcoFriend Award under the Non-Government Organisations and Grassroots Volunteers category for her effort and contribution to protecting the environment.

Presented by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, during a ceremony held on 20 September 2017, Jie Hui was among the ten eco-champions recognised this year. Save That Pen project was started by a group of USP alums through conversations in USP (when many of them were still USP students). Till today, the project is still active, engaging students and volunteers through schools and community groups to donate used and unwanted pens. These pens are then given a new lease of life by refilling and redistributing them to the less privileged. To date, approximately 10,000 pens have been refurbished and redistributed to underprivileged students in Singapore and around the region.

We are most proud of Jie Hui and Save That Pen team for their green efforts!

In fact, last year, another USP alum Veerappan Swaminathan (Mechanical Engineering + USP, Class of 2011), founder of Repair Kopitiam and director of social enterprise Sustainable Living Lab, also received the EcoFriend Award for conducting upcycling (the reuse of discarded objects or material) and environmental education workshops – read here.