“Who’s the most important person to you today?” This was one of the questions on the deck of the “Share Lah…” Cards, and one of the many conversations the 600-strong crowd had with each other.
These 200 seniors from the Lion Befrienders and Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre Community Services and 400 Youth Corps volunteers were engaged in meaningful interactions through shared activities and conversations on 1 Oct, kick-starting the InterGeneration Month of October!
This crowd was also the first to try out the beautifully crafted “Share Lah…” Cards. Initiated to spark and deepen conversations among the youths and seniors, these cards brought joy and laughter when interesting and taboo topics like “where do you see yourself five years from now” were raised. The language barrier certainly didn’t stop both parties from having hearty and meaningful exchanges!
Uncle Lee Kuang (right) sharing about World War II with Maxi (left)3
Because we are stronger together
EMBRACING SYNERGY
Art Jamming!
The morning began with a mass Zumba Gold workout, which both the youths and seniors enjoyed tremendously. Despite their age, the seniors never stopped dancing or took breaks! Familiar songs such as Macarena, got everyone cheering and even more excited.
Next, we proceeded with something more ‘chill’ – an art jamming session where we drew a portrait of our partner with our non-dominant hand. It was something refreshing and got everyone smiling. Some of the seniors even showed the youths who the ‘real’ artists were when they began teaching them how to draw eagerly!
Unairah (left) and Mdm Chee (right) with their art pieces at the art jamming session
Unairah, 18, a volunteer befriender, shared that she was thankful for this opportunity. “I enjoyed myself thoroughly and am motivated to volunteer for more of such events!” This was echoed by Mdm Chee Swee Geok, 74, who shared excitedly on how much she enjoyed the day’s activities of exercising and drawing.
TRANSCENDING GENERATIONAL BOUNDARIES
In the middle of the event space was the Tree of Wisdom, which symbolized the Singapore community and showcased intergenerational harmony and synergy. The young green leaves represented the youths who provide energy and vibrancy, while the mature dark green leaves mirrored the seniors who provide the experience and stability. This activity required the youths to write down the lessons they’ve learnt from the seniors on the young green leaves, and for the seniors to write down their well wishes for the younger ones on the mature dark green leaves. I felt that this had a powerful meaning behind it, because it displayed a strong interdependence and bond between the generations.
Aneesa, project lead for We Are Stronger Together, described it well by iterating the fact that “seniors were once youths, and youths will one day also be seniors”. Overall, we went home with one message – to empathise with those we meet, and treat every individual with great care and respect. That’s how we can break down intergenerational barriers in our society!
The Tree Wisdom
To end off, Dr Amy Khor, our Guest-of-Honour, mentioned that we need an action plan for “successful aging” through promoting and building “an inclusive and caring society, embracing seniors and volunteerism”. This is where we can play a part in this action plan – by joining in with more activities aimed at promoting intergenerational communication and bridging the gaps between the different age-groups.
Wanna play your part too? Join us at www.youthcorps.sg today!
~ Written by Celeste Lim (Youth Corps Leader) with inputs from Lee Ci En (Youth Corps Advocate)
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You can grab your deck of cards too, from The Red Box (113 Somerset Rd), from now till 15 November*.
*50 decks of cards are available for redemption by 15 November or while stocks last. Simply show this article to our friendly receptionists.
