GMF#32 | Kindness Crashed Our Site—Now Gen Z’s Taking It to the Streets
TL;DR:
At Give.Asia, we believe kindness lives inside all of us. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of seeing that belief come to life—sometimes quietly, sometimes so powerfully it crashes our servers. From Professor Albert Teo’s first act of belief, to the viral stories of Chek Ming and Isaac, kindness has always been the engine behind everything we do. And now, with a new generation of storytellers like Justin, we’re discovering even more ways to make kindness go viral.
Give.Asia started because of one kind gesture from Professor Albert Teo.
When kindness goes viral—like with Chek Ming’s story—it can change lives.
We don’t care if the giving happens on our platform or beyond—we just want kindness to spread.
Stories are powerful because they connect us emotionally and inspire action.
Now we’re experimenting with new formats like TikTok street interviews—because kindness lives in everyday people too.
When Kindness Crashes the Internet (And Why We Still Believe)
One of our core beliefs at Give.Asia is simple:
Everyone has kindness inside them.
The spirit of giving is in all of us.
And over the years, we’ve had a front-row seat to moments that prove this—again and again.
The Kindness That Started It All
Whenever someone asks me why I started Give.Asia—or why I’m still working on this dream of a kindness platform—one person always comes to mind:
👉 Professor Albert Teo.
He’s the OG of kindness for us.
And honestly, Give.Asia wouldn’t exist without him.
Picture this:
A student (yes, that was me) dozing off in class.
A teacher, concerned, asks why.
The student explains he’s been staying up late working on a startup idea—something about using tech for good.
Most teachers would probably give a warning.
Prof Teo gave something else:
A donation.
No strings attached.
Just one wish:
“Try your best to make it work.”
That kind of kindness leaves a mark.
It planted the seed for everything that came after.
When Kindness Went Viral (And Took Our Servers Down)
Another unforgettable moment in our journey was the story of Chek Ming—
A mother battling cancer, fighting to hold on for her son.
The story struck a chord.
It spread fast.
Really fast.
So fast, in fact, that our site crashed under the load.
We were seeing 404 errors, staying up for days to reboot our servers... and yet, we were smiling.
Because in that moment, we knew:
Kindness can go viral.
When people care, they act.
And stories are the spark.
It’s Not About Staying on the Platform—It’s About Keeping the Chain Going
Give.Asia has never been about keeping people “on” our platform.
We don’t sell ads.
We don’t profit from traffic.
What we do care about is this:
If a story we help share leads to someone taking action—whether it’s on our site or somewhere else—that’s a win for humanity.
Like the story of Isaac, a young boy fighting leukemia.
A kind journalist helped share his story.
Then an Indonesian billionaire saw it.
He made a house visit to meet Isaac and offered to cover his treatment.
That didn’t happen because of algorithms.
That happened because people still care, and they just needed a story to open their hearts.
New Ways to Tell Stories of Everyday Kindness
These days, we’re experimenting.
We’re always looking for new ways to tell stories that make people stop and care.
With the help of volunteers like Justin, we’re trying out street interviews on TikTok.
We’re gathering stories straight from the everyday lives we often walk past.
Because kindness lives in the ordinary, not just the headlines.
And we believe these little sparks can still catch fire.
So What’s Next? Make Kindness Viral (Again).
If you believe in this mission too, here’s a simple ask:
👉 Lend Justin a hand.
Help his next Instagram post go viral.
Let’s spread stories that move people—not for clout, but for connection.
Because this has always been the dream:
To build a platform that reconnects humanity—
One act of kindness at a time.
Awesome post! Your professor seems like such a kind person. Let’s make kindness go viral 😊