While most use Carousell to buy and sell, it is also a platform for sharing and giving. This Chinese New Year, we wanted to explore how our community could play a bigger, more active role in the wider society.
Project CARE to bring the Carousell spirit to people who fall between the gaps in our ageing society. As our society ages, many of the silver generation often end up living on their own. In their advanced age, they are not as capable of taking care of themselves as they once were.
It’s especially important to reach out to this group of socially vulnerable, often isolated group, and connect with them, after all as John Donne famously wrote “No man is an island”.
Meet Uncle Wong
We were introduced to 85-year-old Uncle Wong, who lives alone. A quiet, soft spoken man, he spends most of his days watching TV at home or simply lounging around the neighbourhood coffee shops. An ideal life for some perhaps, but living alone for so long isn’t a healthy way of living.
After talking to him for a bit, (we found that his roommate passed away several years ago), Uncle Wong eventually invited us into his home.
When we entered Uncle Wong’s house, one of the first things we noticed were that his furniture, bed and appliances were worn-out and needed a change.
Coming together as a community
To spruce up his home for Chinese New Year, we reached out to our Carousell community in search of items and services he might want or need. Watch the full video here
We were very heartened to see our Carousellers respond to our appeal for help in one way or another! Wanting to liven up Uncle Wong’s home without adding or changing too much of the facade, we felt that a fresh coat of paint could be the best way to do it.
We chanced upon @24owl’s painting services and asked if he would be willing to help us out. When he heard about our cause, he immediately offered his painting service at a subsidised rate. (Although in the end, Uncle Wong opted not to have his walls repainted. “太麻烦”, he said as he didn’t want to trouble so many people over his simple lifestyle)
What’s CNY without a few red and auspicious decor pieces? We turned to Carousellers and found cute customisable decorations, as well as some second hand pieces. @pawidentity even went the extra mile to customise a Year of the Dog door sign with Uncle Wong’s surname and donated it to him!
Customised by Angeline, owner of <pawidentity>
It’s a great reminder that buying and selling is not just a transactional process, and how technology can connect us to create meaningful experiences.
The #Blessings Movement
This is not the first time we’ve witnessed acts of kindness from the Carousell community.
It started when our team noticed a spike in the listings with the hashtag #blessings or #ToBless. We soon discovered that Carousellers were using this hashtag to give away items to those in need.
Ever since, we’ve heard stories like a single mom being blessed with milk powder, or a Singaporean gifting baseball gloves to children in the Philippines. This ground-up initiative of giving has benefitted many, including Uncle Wong.
We believe that the practice of giving can make our world a better place, and we are moved by the efforts of the Carousell community.
Would you like to join the #blessings movement?
You too, can be part of this movement. Here’s how:
- Snap, list, and upload your listing with the hashtag #blessings.
- Alternatively, you can also search for the hashtag #blessings to see what the community is in need of
Your underutilized items could just bring a smile to someone’s face 🙂
