Kampung spirit going strong on apps for offering giveaways

These apps have become a resource for the needy and the eco-conscious

- Annabelle Liang Correspondent

The request came unexpectedly, in response to my Carousell listing for a washing machine I recently purchased.

With years left on its warranty and life cycle, I had hoped to get $100 for it.

The machine would no longer fit into the layout of my home, which was about to undergo an extensive renovation. Still, I was determined to give it a new lease of life.

“Can you bless it to our ministry?” asked the Carousell user, who represented a charity.

It was the first such request I had received on the online marketplace.

The sceptic in me immediately wondered if this was a scam. I read the charity’s reviews and checked its registration records, before deciding to go ahead with the donation.

In days, the machine was out of my house and on the way to the charity, which supports former offenders and those in need.

The encounter opened my mind to the idea of giving things away using the online route.

I am admittedly late to the game. I have found that the #Blessings hashtag started trending on Carousell almost a decade ago.

A young single mother first used the hashtag to appeal for secondhand and new items. She received an overwhelming response.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, users tapped the same hashtag to give away masks and hand sanitisers. This drove Carousell to create a “free items” category in 2020.

Since then, about 350,000 to 400,000 free items have found new homes through the app every year.