The aim of community service is that as a responsible
citizen, we should give back to our community. While it sounds simple, it is
actually so much more than that. Back in Indonesia, I have previously been
involved in a two months Student Volunteering Project, where I need to propose
a minimum of five programmes that could develop the rural area in the province.
That’s why when I heard about the community service requirement in Singapore, I
thought I would end up having to go through similar hurdles as part of the
community service. But it is, truthfully, easier here in Singapore because of
the existence of the cooperation between NTU’s TF LEaRN programme and St Luke's
ElderCare. Unlike my previous community service experience, we are not necessarily
required to create five different programmes to be implemented in the centre,
but to focus on interaction and helping the elderly.
The opportunity to be involved in the community service at St Luke's ElderCare has given me so many insights about the way the elderly live in Singapore. Prior to my community service, I have only interacted with a couple of elderly people, and those interactions were not genuine human to human interactions -- the interactions were transaction-based, distant, and of course not really insightful. However, during my community service, I was given opportunities to interact and create a meaningful connection with the people around me, especially the elderly. At first my biggest concern was language barrier as I could only converse in English and Malay, while most of the elderly could not understand both languages. After spending my first day at the Centre, I was worried that I could not contribute enough. Thankfully, the staff at St Luke's ElderCare has been so kind and patient to our team, and invited us to mingle and play with the uncles and aunties there. Even if I could not converse with the elderly that much, I managed to overcome the language barrier with gestures, board games, and laughter (because really, they were so funny).
The opportunity to be involved in the community service at St Luke's ElderCare has given me so many insights about the way the elderly live in Singapore. Prior to my community service, I have only interacted with a couple of elderly people, and those interactions were not genuine human to human interactions -- the interactions were transaction-based, distant, and of course not really insightful. However, during my community service, I was given opportunities to interact and create a meaningful connection with the people around me, especially the elderly. At first my biggest concern was language barrier as I could only converse in English and Malay, while most of the elderly could not understand both languages. After spending my first day at the Centre, I was worried that I could not contribute enough. Thankfully, the staff at St Luke's ElderCare has been so kind and patient to our team, and invited us to mingle and play with the uncles and aunties there. Even if I could not converse with the elderly that much, I managed to overcome the language barrier with gestures, board games, and laughter (because really, they were so funny).
One of my most memorable conversations happened near the end
of my community service. One Malay grandma, Nenek Joda, told me about how
grateful she was to be able to spend time in the ElderCare Centre. She told me
as she only had one daughter, it could be lonely at times. But because she was
there in the Centre, she could chat, exercise, and even play with other people.
She was, in her own words, grateful to the government for making such a service
accessible and affordable to the elderly.
Prior to this, I had heard and read a fair share about Singapore’s elderly care insurance plans to form a certain opinion on the issue; however, after hearing the positive feedback first-hand from the elderly, I started to think that even if it was not perfect to some people, there is no denying that the forward planning had helped a lot of citizens. If I could highlight a memorable experience from this community service, it would be this realisation and I could not be more grateful about that. Coming to Singapore, it has always been my biggest interest to know more about how every layer of Singapore’s society live from the eyes of Singaporean themselves, and this community service has provided me the exact opportunity to do so.
Prior to this, I had heard and read a fair share about Singapore’s elderly care insurance plans to form a certain opinion on the issue; however, after hearing the positive feedback first-hand from the elderly, I started to think that even if it was not perfect to some people, there is no denying that the forward planning had helped a lot of citizens. If I could highlight a memorable experience from this community service, it would be this realisation and I could not be more grateful about that. Coming to Singapore, it has always been my biggest interest to know more about how every layer of Singapore’s society live from the eyes of Singaporean themselves, and this community service has provided me the exact opportunity to do so.