The initiative shuts down after just five months, citing widespread failure to return shared umbrellas.
SINGAPORE: The Joo Chiat Sharella program, a community initiative aimed at providing free “kindness umbrellas” at bus stops, announced it will cease operations by the end of February. According to a poster from the Siglap Youth Network Team, more than 1,000 umbrellas were distributed across 18 kiosks in just five months, but an overwhelming lack of returns has made the service unsustainable.
The concept was simple: residents could borrow umbrellas during unexpected rain and return them to kiosks afterward, allowing others to benefit. However, as the program progressed, umbrellas frequently went missing, leaving the kiosks empty.
Community Frustration
A photo of the announcement poster and a barren kiosk was shared on Reddit by user u/xhjdhd72772, who lamented the program’s downfall:
“Joo Chiat Sharella is being discontinued after only five months as ALL the umbrellas have been stolen. I’ve seen people (mostly elderly) keeping the umbrellas at home. This is especially terrible since they could have helped others during the rainy season. And this is a rich neighborhood!”
“Goodwill Systems Don’t Work Here”
The post sparked a lively discussion among netizens. Some users expressed disappointment over the lack of community cooperation, while others compared Singapore’s cultural values to those of other countries.
One commenter remarked, “Every time there is goodwill extended, some people ruin it. I remember a stall using the honor system—once it was publicized, it didn’t last a month.”
Another drew comparisons to Japan’s culture of respect and responsibility, stating, “Goodwill systems like this don’t work here. These values are not instilled in our culture like they are in Japan, where children learn this from kindergarten.”
Others highlighted the inherent challenges of such initiatives, with one user noting, “Umbrellas are always useful, so people are less likely to return them. Book-sharing programs work better since books lose their utility once read.”
The Rise and Fall of Joo Chiat Sharella
Launched in November 2023 by the Siglap South Youth Network, the Joo Chiat Sharella initiative aimed to encourage community sharing with the tagline “Share a Kindness Umbrella.” Supported by Sharelah SG, the Singapore Kindness Movement, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the program placed 18 kiosks around Siglap South and Telok Kurau East.
Despite its good intentions, the program struggled against human behavior, demonstrating the challenges of sustaining goodwill-based services in certain environments.
