Striving to learn with the Merdeka Generation spirit

Being part of the Merdeka generation, Mdm Virna Ng, 67, is a go-getter who embodies the can-do spirit and is keen to pursue purpose and fulfilment in life. She believes in the importance of contributing back to society and caring for the needy for a more inclusive society. Since her retirement, she has been doing volunteer work for the past 5 years and visits elderly patients who are discharged from hospital.

 

Taking the initiative to learn

 

Besides her volunteer work, she keeps herself up to date with learning opportunities available, such as mindfulness and financial planning. She has an interest in financial planning as it can help her plan her finances and ensure that she has a regular basic income. Thus, she had attended courses like Financial Planning for Retirement by Tsao Foundation, IT courses and also a National Silver Academy (NSA) course Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction by Brahm Centre. Recently, she had also signed up for another NSA course Dementia II – Care and Support (Basic) by Centre for Seniors as she thought that she could pick up her useful life skills for herself and her volunteer work.

 

"We should not just keep waiting for things to happen or relying on other people. It is important that we find a purpose or passion in life so that we can keep in touch with community, reduce alienation and mental ageing," Mdm Ng emphasised.

 

Building connections within the community

 

Mdm Ng regularly visits the Methodist Welfare Services Senior Activity Centre @ Teck Ghee as it is located close by to where she lives. Earlier this year, she had attended a 3-hour financial literacy course under NSA that was conducted at the Senior Activity Centre. The talk introduced various financial schemes and how to identify and avoid scams.

 

"It’s great to have such a community space where I can interact with other seniors and participate in different kinds of activities such as arts and crafts as well as talks to stay active. It really helps in boosting and maintaining the social, physical and mental wellness of the individual," says Mdm Ng.

 

In the near future, Mdm Ng intends to take up various health and wellness courses to further enrich her knowledge.

 

**Special thanks to Mdm Virna Ng who accepted our interview, we wish her all the very best in her lifelong learning journey.

 

For a full list of short courses, click here.

 

For a full list of exam-free modules, click here.

 

For a list of ad hoc learning opportunities, click here.