HCInteract

Life really works in mysterious ways. I never knew about Interact club till a day or so before the application deadline. From the end of my secondary school days till the start of JC, I had my sights set on HCanoe. But one thing led to another and I ended up joining HCInteract.

HCInteract is a CCA that focuses on community service. We were split into 6 different IGs (Interact Groups), and I was allocated to one that worked with the elderly. I had never volunteered with the elderly prior to this and was undeniably really nervous. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to engage the elderly properly and if I’d be the right fit for the IG, but my seniors guided me through the entire process and eventually eased me into the volunteering journey.

However, our volunteering journey was still ultimately cut short by the COVID-19 restrictions, especially since the elderly we worked with belonged to a vulnerable group. Online volunteering was tough as well since most of the elderly that we worked with did not have access to the technology required, or they weren’t interested and motivated enough to overcome the technological barrier. Nonetheless, our group made weekly calls to the elderly to check in on them, while also sending Chinese New Year care packs to them since they couldn’t be invited to Hwa Chong for the annual Chinese New Year celebration. Initiatives like these reminded me that our connections with others can never be truly cut off - it all depends on the efforts that we make to keep connections going, and to continue bringing warmth to our beneficiaries even when, and especially when, times get tough.

Following the easing of restrictions, we managed to bring our juniors back to Tembusu Senior Activity Centre to carry out our weekly activities. A key week that I doubt I’ll ever forget is the one session where we were tasked to deliver food packs and other daily necessities to the elderly living near the centre. That day, I clocked over 7,000 steps and visited close to 6 different HDB blocks in the span of 3 hours. I had the opportunity to see what the elderly’s living environments were like, and also the chance to check in on some of the elderly whom I have never spoken to before. I vividly remember the warm smiles and the “谢谢你啊 girl”s (translated: thank you ah girl) as we went around delivering their daily necessities.

Thankfully, we also had the chance to go for house visits before we stepped down from the CCA. I met an aunty who shared with us her life story - she had spent years working really hard to support her daughter through her schooling years, and eventually tearfully (but proudly) sent her daughter off to pursue her higher education in Australia. She now lives alone without any family nearby, as they all lived in Penang. Aunty was one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. She never gave up despite all the hardships she had been through, because all she wanted for was a good life for her daughter, and I hope that came true.

Experiences like this really remind me why I enjoy volunteering. Someone once asked me why I volunteer when “giving them money would be so much more helpful and realistic”. Sure, monetary donations do play an important role in uplifting others, but I don’t think I will ever forget the lessons that Aunty taught me, and I don’t think Aunty will ever forget that one day 2 blur Hwa Chong students went to visit her and talked to her for 2 hours. To me, the ability to just spend time with them, the ability to form that human connection with them, does so much more than just a $100 bill sent to their doorstep. I really love what I do.