Are Our Karung Guni Uncles and Aunties Earning Enough to Survive?
By Seedly • August 9, 2020
While some of us might be taking the chance to check out new staycation promotions or await for new investment opportunities, we might forget how COVID-19 has disrupted the livelihoods of many of us. A group familiar to all Singaporeans is also bearing the brunt of this economic impact. They are our karung guni uncles and aunties. Source: Esplanade A big part of our childhood, these rag-and-bone collectors would roam the corridors of HDB blocks and collect old goods for a living. Besides having their jobs facing prejudice and contempt from some Singaporeans, the Karung Guni trade is struggling to stay afloat, and the situation has been made worse by the current pandemic. Karung Guni While the Karung Guni trade is mostly made up of Chinese men, the name is in Malay, which translates to ‘gunny sack‘. It started in the 1970s, and has since...
