Enjoying the best of both worlds

Sporting a cheerful and youthful disposition, it is hard to tell that Mdm Oh Peck Wah is 75 years old this year and someone who has accumulated a wealth of learning and volunteering experiences.

 

Her journey into lifelong learning started off as her being a volunteer trainer for the National Silver Academy (NSA) course “Hanyu Pinyin For Beginners”, and she subsequently became a learner herself through exploring and attending NSA courses. 

 

From a Trainer to a Lifelong Learner

 

As a volunteer trainer, Mdm Oh was aware of the wide range of learning opportunities offered under NSA and had signed up for over 10 courses to date. One of the courses was “Dementia Awareness Workshop” conducted by Alzheimer Disease Association, where she wanted to learn how to communicate more effectively and take care of her family member with dementia. 

 

“Since I have much free time in my retirement years, I would like to make use of it to pick up different skills. Some of these skills that I learnt have also helped me in my volunteering journey!” Mdm Oh shared. 

 

Mdm Oh also attended a Malay NSA course “Managing Your Expenses For Elderly (Malay)” to challenge herself recently. The course allowed her to have more interaction with her third language and be more financially literate. She is now able to better manage her finances after attending the course.

 

Out of all the courses she has attended so far, the NSA course “我的故事 My Story” was particularly memorable as it enabled her to relook at her past and reflect on her life experiences. This spurred Mdm Oh to reignite her long-lost passion of journaling. Whenever Mdm Oh is not volunteering or attending a course, she prefers to devote her free time to her journaling hobby. 

 

Both a Passionate Learner and Active Volunteer

 

Besides being an passionate learner, Mdm Oh is also active in the volunteering community. Her volunteering journey started a few years ago with her desire to give back to society after receiving love and care from volunteers at a time when she needed it the most. At that time, her husband had been diagnosed with cancer and it was physically and mentally challenging period for Mdm Oh. 

 

“I have felt the care and love of many people in my life, and they have been an invaluable source of comfort to me. I want to pass on this love to others in our society.” Mdm Oh explained.

 

Not only did Mdm Oh sign up as a befriender for an elderly befriending programme, she has reached out to residents of nursing homes and recently joined Project HAMIDA, a volunteering programme managed by En Community Services Society (ECSS) and supported by Council for Third Age (C3A), as a volunteer coach supporting caregivers through arts and music-related activities.

 

Mdm Oh shared: “My greatest takeaway is that I learnt to become calmer when faced with problems, and my relationships with my children and grandchildren have improved. As a grandmother, I have learnt to let go of my ideas of bringing up my grandchildren, a responsibility meant for my adult children, and to focus on myself to live a healthy and active life.”

 

“Sometimes I feel that volunteering, is not just about helping others, but it is also a way to help ourselves. With volunteering, we preoccupy our time meaningfully and learn to cherish ourselves and the people around us more,” she continued.

 

Being a good influence to her peers, Mdm Oh motivates others to kickstart their active ageing journey, and also shares useful tips learnt from her courses with the people around her. 

 

She concluded: “Whether it’s volunteering or learning, they are good to keep ourselves active.” 

 

If you would like to be a lifelong learner like Mdm Oh Peck Wah, check out the wide range of learning opportunities under National Silver Academy (NSA) here. Or if you are interested in volunteering, do check out the various volunteering opportunities available for seniors here.

 

**Special thanks to Mdm Oh Peck Wah who accepted the interview, we wish her all the very best in her lifelong learning journey.