Founder hopes the lending and borrowing will help to rekindle kampung spirit
Sue-ann Tan And Cheng Jingjie Straits Times 15 Mar 13;
A CASUAL chat which resulted in Mr Moh Hon Meng inviting his neighbour round to use his sewing machine has led to an idea which could see many more Singaporeans sharing their resources.
The website BlockPooling.sg goes live today, providing an online platform for residents of condominiums and Housing Board flats to help one another out.
Residents who live in blocks within 200m of one another are grouped together with other households that set up an online inventory. Users who sign up to the site will be able to approach those who have something they need to borrow.
Mr Moh, 44, the chief executive officer of Estatebuzz, a company that helps to set up social websites, received a $20,000 grant from the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre's Jump Start Fund. The centre's chief executive officer Laurence Lien said: "We support this initiative because it promotes neighbourly cooperation and interdependence. Ultimately, we hope to create a giving nation where individuals take ownership to do more good within the communities."
Estatebuzz's first website was ShareTransport.sg, which has attracted 11,000 users since it was set up a year ago. Through BlockPooling.sg, Mr Moh hopes to rekindle the "kampung spirit" among Singaporeans.
Invoking the Chinese proverb that close neighbours are better than distant relatives, he said: "Sometimes even though we are willing to help, we don't know what our neighbours need. This website provides the communication tool."
He hopes that through the ripple effect of sharing, residents can create a support network and widen their social circles.
Mr Moh acknowledged that the system does have some potential problems - such as people who damage or do not return items - but he said that residents will have to settle the issues on their own, "as neighbours do".
The website suggests a list of 24 items that neighbours can share, such as sports equipment, household appliances, books and DVDs. There are also six services proposed for sharing, such as help with Internet issues and changing light bulbs.
Another service, "pool-to-buy", has exclusive deals that allow households in need of the same services or goods to buy in bulk to cut costs.
Mr Moh hopes that by the end of the year, 160 blocks will have five to six households each that have managed to pool the list of suggested items and services and register them on the website. He has also planned a "food pooling" party in June.
Residents expressed mixed opinions on the sharing initiative.
Student Liew Shuo Ren, 19, who lives in Bukit Batok, said: "It takes more to promote neighbourliness. We're more self-sufficient and less sociable than in the past."
Mr Wong Zhi Rong, 27, a security officer from Bishan, said: "I will try it. It will allow us to make more friends. There will be more communication and it will be good for everyone."
