During the Singapore National Conversation dialogue, many participants expressed a need for a stronger kampong spirit. This inspired local tech company Estatebuzz Pte Ltd to optimise resource sharing online, encouraging Singaporeans to better connect with their neighbours living close together for mutual benefits.
Estatebuzz is the parent company of Sharetransport.sg, blockpooling.sg and microfranchise.sg, all of which enable users to collaborate with one another digitally to solve particular challenges through social media. In order to make this work, Estatebuzz does the following:
1. Micro-franchising – Freelancers can join various franchises for training, administrative support and other benefits, making a potentially higher income than if they were freelancing independently. This helps people earn a decent monthly income, yet have a flexible work timetable with a shorter commute. Such examples include giving tuition to neighborhood children and delivering makeup packages to people’s doorsteps.
2. Block-pooling – Using a ‘helping hands’ approach, people living in the same block can leverage their own resources to help one another. This is a win-win situation for both sides. For example, neighbours do not have to spend additional money for a rice cooker if another neighbour has a spare one, and extra cash can be saved by purchasing items such as oil and rice in bulk.
3. Share transport – With the public transport crunch and sky-rocketing certificate of entitlement (COE) prices, commuters are driven to consider car-pooling as a more viable way to get around Singapore. Users are now able to discover others who live and work near them and are able to either car-pool, taxi-pool or bus-pool to get to work. Drivers are able to receive up to $4.60 per person per trip.
As of now, Estatebuzz is being funded by the founders, with external funding help from National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). The founders of Estatebuzz hope that more people will register for the website, as this will solve community bonding and cooperation challenges among neighbours.
It is sad that Singaporean modern society is not like the kampong days, when social capital and community links were much stronger. One could theoretically have been living in the estate for more than 20 years, and not know anything about the people living just a few metres away from them! This is the result of people either having the fear of being labelled as a “busybody” if they probed into another neighbour’s affairs, or being too shy to seek for help.
It is heartwarming to see Estatebuzz’s willingness and eagerness to help the community by encouraging neighbours to interact more. Chatting with Mr Soh Chong Kian, a formal civil servant and now co-founder of Estatebuzz, was a great pleasure. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
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