20S22

Our class collaborated with NTUC Health Senior Day Care (Toa Payoh) with the aim to conduct some fun activities with the seniors.

Our class decided on three activities: karaoke, origami, and a seated zumba session.

We split the class into three groups and from there, they planned out what they will be doing. The karaoke group sang along with the seniors to Chan Mali Chan, 月亮代表我的心 and Rasa Sayang.

The origami group folded paper hearts and red packet fishes with the elderly.

Before the event itself, we hashed out what materials were required. We then sent the necessary materials to the organisation.

The SL day was a great one where it brought out the servant leadership within the class and helped further our bond as a class, it made us appreciate the act of interacting with the elderly and that itself gave us meaning when we were carrying out the activities for them.

Through the discussion with our friends, we talked about what we thought would make the elderly have a fun filled time. In order to resonate with them, we stood from their perspective and put ourselves in their shoes to think about what they might enjoy. As such, we came up with karaoke, to help them reminisce the good old times with songs in their olden days!

There were some hiccups as we missed out on some logistics beforehand and we fumbled a little, which is an area of improvement if we were to have such an activity again. However, a good thing that came out of this was being able to adapt and improvise with whatever we have, to still produce a good and fun time not only for the elderly, but for ourselves too!

Thinking back about what we have done, I think we all felt very fulfilled knowing that we made their day. It was also the first community project/event that our class participated in together and we learnt the value of teamwork - to cooperate and do our best to put things together, which turned out beautifully.

There were many challenges faced during the planning phase. We had to manage organising the class to help plan the activities, and flesh out the plans for each activity. Also, the back and forth of the formal proposal with the elderly care centre was a new and interesting experience. Overall, I feel the class now has a greater understanding of the elderly, and can better sympathise with them. I personally feel the experience was a rewarding one, where we managed to put smiles on both the faces of the elderly, and ourselves.

SL day was a really fulfilling and enjoyable experience for us as we stepped out of our comfort zones to reach out to the elderly by planning and executing the activities planned for them. Even though we had some difficulties in translating from English to Chinese, we managed to communicate with the elderly and ensure they had fun while doing the activities we planned for them. It was an engaging session for all of us!