Meet the enterprising members of Team Techbridge – Mokshith Talasikal (leader), Priyam Kotadiya, Aryam Rastogi and Devadath Pillai from NPS International School.

And the stout-hearted members of Team Project gOldies – Lin Hongbin (leader), Jayven Tan, Thay Yu Kai and Puah Zhi from Dunman High School.

Both teams are addressing the important task of securing funds for SJH and its residents, in addition to enhancing public awareness of SJH’s initiatives. The financial support generated will play a significant role in facilitating SJH’s transition into a nursing home setting. This fundraising effort is being conducted under the auspices of the YMCA’s Youth for Causes initiative. Click here - https://ymca.org.sg/youths/ for more information about this community initiative.

Even though their projects officially wrap up on Sep 2025, the teams plan to keep raising funds for SJH after they finished their exams. At present, Team Techbridge has collected $817.56, while team gOldies has brought in $654.00 for SJH.

Both teams have undertaken the responsibility of developing engaging activities for our elders as part of the YMCA’s Youth for Causes initiative. Their efforts represent significant contributions to enhancing self-esteem, fostering a sense of purpose, and providing meaningful stimulation in the daily lives of our residents. Furthermore, both teams will continue volunteering at SJH following the official conclusion of their projects on Sep 2025. SJH sincerely appreciates the generosity and dedication demonstrated by these young men.

Team Techbridge – empowering elders 

As their name suggests, Team Techbridge is dedicated to empowering SJH elders to use social media applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and FaceTime so that they can keep in touch with their families and friends. The team was motivated by personal experiences with their own grandparents and noted that elders’ self-esteem tended to decline when assistance was rendered for them to access social media. The team believes that empowering older adults to navigate social media apps on their own will boost their confidence and enhance their overall sense of well-being.

The team chose to work with the elderly at SJH because the elderly community is underserved. Once residents can independently access Facebook, WhatsApp, and FaceTime, their ability to stay connected with family and friends should enhance their quality of life. They will also be able to enjoy YouTube and free online games, which will add more fun and variety to their everyday activities.

The team organized six iPad activities to help SJH elders get comfortable with using the devices. Elders started by playing games like snooker, tic-tac-toe, darts, and memory games. They also learned to find their favorite Teresa Teng songs. Once proficient, they'll be taught to use apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, FaceTime, and YouTube. Team TechBridge will resume volunteering in Nov 2025 after pausing in October for their exams.

To raise public awareness about the needs of elders and the work of SJH, the team plans to hold workshops at public libraries and has approached Punggol library. Moreover, the team also intends to make a documentary about the learning journey of SJH elders, which will be posted online. 

Team Project gOldies – preserving legacies 

Why did Team Project gOldies choose to focus specifically on the elderly, and SJH elders in particular?

Hongbin and Jayven shared that their positive experiences working with elderly people since secondary school at organisations like HCA that inspired them to keep engaging with this community. They were fascinated by the unique stories and valuable perspectives of the elders they met. Believing that young people can learn from these experiences, Hongbin and his teammates chose to record the residents' stories and preserve their legacies for future generations. They felt it would be a real loss if these insights and tales were forgotten.

The team was particularly interested in recording the stories of elders who live alone, since they are more vulnerable due to the lack of family members to carry on their legacies. Because SJH serves this population, the team decided to partner them. They also considered SJH’s strong reputation for delivering high-quality care to residents and providing excellent support to its beneficiaries and volunteers.

The name of their team, Project gOldies, a combination of gold and oldies, expresses the team’s conviction that our elders can share many golden nuggets of wisdom. Hongbin quoted a Chinese idiom – “a family with an elder is a family with a treasure” - to put across the point that our elders are treasure troves of invaluable experience and wisdom.

The team has asked SJH residents to share the most difficult challenges in their lives, the moments that they are most proud of, and the lessons which they want to share with younger generations. To build rapport with our elders and ensure that they share their life stories freely, the team conducted activities like bingo, karaoke, talent show and balloon volleyball.

The team will collect residents' stories and advice to create a biography published in both digital (Flipbook) and print formats. This biography will serve as an enduring legacy for future generations. SJH's work and lessons from gOldies will be promoted through Instagram, school talks, and the Flipbook. The biography may also be sold to support SJH financially.

The team will carry on with its engagement project until Jun 2026, well beyond the official end date of Sep 2025. The team will also continue its campaign to raise public awareness about SJH until Jun 2026.

Get Involved! Empower an Elder today!