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~ An Afternoon With The Bukit
Merah Befrienders ~
"How am I going to start the
conversation?" That was the thought in each of us
with every step that brought us closer to the
Thong Kheng Seniors Activity Centre at Bukit
Merah. For many of us, this was the first time
that 14 young undergraduates would be coming into
close contact with members of the elderly, with
the exception of our own grandparents.
From afar, we saw a crowd of elderly people
gathered together and waiting for our arrival. On
closer look, they were all staring at the images
and subtitles on a large TV screen, while one of
them tried to impress the rest with her vocal
talent. To us, it was just a karaoke session; to
them, it was entertainment for a whole Wednesday
afternoon.
They were amused to see us, just as we were to
see them. Our arrival seemed to have brought
smiles to the faces of some of these elderly
folks. Before any words were exchanged, we headed
for the General Office for our briefing. We were
quick to give one another our immediate
impressions of the elderly. The fear that we were
outnumbered 5 to 1 was apparent, but this was
quickly dispelled when we learnt that Cantonese
was the common dialect spoken, and almost none of
us could speak a word of it !
Fortunately, the ice was soon broken when we
were introduced to the elderly residents, with
much thanks to the Cantonese-conversing Reginia
and Liesbet. In the midst of the karaoke session,
we dispersed ourselves in the sea of old folks.
Soon, the language barrier was broken. The
volunteers chatted in Mandarin, peppered with a
dash, of dialect here and there. The elderly
replied mostly in Cantonese, with a few of them
speaking English and Mandarin. The most important
thing was that we gradually felt at ease with one
another.
In the short while that I spent with Mdm Yeng,
I learnt that she did not marry and was contented
to live alone in her recently renovated flat above
the Senior Activity Centre. Although she was in
her 70's and still very much active, she told me
that she seldom cooked, and chose to buy lunch and
dinner from the nearby coffeeshop.
After a short tea session, we proceeded to play
games, It was very surprising to see the old folks
spring to action, as instructions were given for
them to sit in a circle. They may be old, but
indeed, they were very young at heart. As I guided
Mdm Yeng and her friends in a round of Bingo, I
saw their happiness shine though. The prizes we
offered were secondary to them; it was the joy we
brought to them during the 2 hours that
mattered.
I was extremely delighted when Mdm Yeng managed
to win a prize in the Bingo session. I could see
how grateful she was to have us entertain them
that day. Smiles and laughter accompanied the
parcel that was passed round in the next game. It
was a rare chance to see some of the elderly in
action before they received their prizes. Although
they only performed some simple dancing steps,
they were glad to receive the warm applause from
their fellow residents and us volunteers.
Before long, we learnt that it was almost time
for the elderly to return to their serene
lifestyle. We distributed goodie bags to them
amidst the friendly farewells. To them, this
afternoon would leave lots of memories for them to
talk about the next time they met. For me, this
afternoon has left lifelong memories for me to
tell my grandchildren, and has made a permanent
volunteer out of me with the Bukit Merah
Befrienders.
Mr Mervyn Sek was the
Chairperson of the NUSSU Volunteer Action
Committee in 2000/01. An Economics Honours student
at NUS, he always has time for volunteer work
despite his studies and other student activities.
Having been an active volunteer since his
secondary school days, he currently spends his
Saturdays with intellectually disabled children at
the MINDS Guillemard Gardens School. He hopes that
more people will overcome their initial fears so
as to spend their leisure time with the less
fortunate.
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