Article by Verlyn Ku
Storyblog by Euclea Tan, Verlyn Ku, Natalie Lim and Andrew Sutjipto
In these especially harrowing times, it seems even maintaining our personal relations is an insurmountable task. Tasked with this challenge of bridging the gap between us students and our elderly beneficiaries, how was I going to fare? Little did I know, this experience would illuminate me with a sense of fulfillment knowing that I've given someone hope in the midst of this pandemic.
My general feeling from this Befriending project was that it is really heartwarming to see so many seniors interested and willing to learn technology! My senior was very happy that someone was willing to teach him, but also did mention it was hard to conduct such lessons online, which I do agree with.
Furthermore, he had some problems with his home Wi-Fi router as well as his phone’s mobile data, and as a result he could not use Whatsapp. Without any connection, it would be near to impossible to teach him to use Zoom or Whatsapp and sadly we would have to wait for the issue to be resolved.
To my surprise, I received a call from him after 2 days telling me that it was fixed. He mentioned that his children managed to pop over to fix the Wi-fi router and he managed to visit the nearby repair shop despite his leg injury to get his phone fixed. His determination to learn really struck me and it made me even more determined to help him.
I will not delve into the nitty-gritty details of our conversations, but it would suffice to say we talked about anything, ranging from technology to personal lives and family. It was honestly quite hard to teach elders how to use their phones over Whatsapp call – they need time and space to learn at their own pace, and when I was teaching him how to use Zoom we encountered an unknown error which I couldn’t quite understand over the phone. Even though I wouldn’t say that these 2 months of calls taught him much about using his phone better since I couldn’t physically be there to teach him what to press, I would still count it a success in terms of piquing his interest in this area! For one, he was very fascinated by 5G and also asked me about phone recommendations. On a side note, my confidence in speaking Mandarin has improved, after two years of not speaking that language on a regular basis, and I myself learnt some new technical terms in Mandarin! My team of BP Befrienders were all really helpful as well, sharing resources that we made so that all of us could communicate with our seniors more easily.
Overall, I had quite a pleasant experience over these few weeks and I would do it again if I could! I have to say that my senior seems like a rather sprightly senior, and I’m glad that he was very willing to take my calls anytime (he replies messages really quickly, kudos to that), and our conversations were always two-way! Through volunteering, we not only give, but also receive much more in return – our conversations can quickly morph from technology lessons to life lessons, and it is amazing to see the wealth of knowledge that comes with maturity. These interactions may be one-off, but I am very glad to have joined BP as a befriender which has enabled me to care for and empathize with seniors better.
To all those reading this article, you might wonder – how can I start volunteering, apart from BP?
Well, there are events such as Digital Clinics, but will likely only resume when the situation gets better. Organized by IMDA Singapore and Youth Corps Singapore, Digital Clinics recruit ‘Digital Volunteers’ – yes, you! – to do one-on-one consultations with elderly who are interested. Speaking from personal experience, it’s interesting as you get to meet lively seniors, talk to new faces, and don’t be surprised when they ask you questions that even you might need to Google about!
To conclude, our goal of this BP befriending was to firstly befriend the seniors, as well as give them a taster and confidence boost in utilizing their phones. These events are ultimately one-off though, and the catch is that only through constant usage can the seniors familiarise with technology. So for all those with grandparents, perhaps you could reach out to them the next time, as you will be the one providing long-term technology support. You too can make a difference!
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