A student on quarantine asked on an app for help getting new guitar strings, as his had broken. Almost immediately, several people responded and someone in his neighbourhood delivered strings to his doorstep, free-of-charge.
This exchange was made possible through the GoodHood.SG app, the brainchild of entrepreneur Nigel Teo, 39, and three others.
The app is a free platform enabling verified neighbours to share items and services by selling or donating them.
Soft launched on 22 March, it now has more than 550 users, with the number growing by about 10% a day, says Mr Teo.
About 80% to 90% of the posts on the app are from people offering help, ranging from buying groceries and dog walking, to offering cooked meals, he says. The rest are from people seeking help.
The app hopes to build the “kampung spirit” and neighbourliness, and while it was originally set to be launched later this year, Mr Teo says his team worked hard through many nights for it to be available during the coronavirus outbreak.
His team is looking for community leads within neighbourhoods to help engage residents and answer questions.
The app will also now allow for front-liners and healthcare workers to identify as such on the app, so that “GoodHooders” will know they are on the platform and can extend their kindness to them.
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Source: The Straits Times, 5 April 2020