NJC students bring CNY cheer to Jurong Community Hospital patients

National Junior College student volunteers doing calligraphy with seniors during the Harmony of Horses Chinese New Year Concert on Feb 23.SINGAPORE – During his secondary school days, Mr Elias Wong remembers his grandmother lamenting her experience in hospital after suffering a rib fracture.“She would tell me that it was very mundane, as there was nothing to do,” said the 18-year-old National Junior College (NJC) student. “That made me want to give patients something to look forward to.”This Chinese New Year, Mr Wong was able to make good on his goal by joining seven other student volunteers from NJC’s Interact Club to organise the Harmony of Horses Chinese New Year Concert. The event held at Jurong Community Hospital (JCH) brought festive cheer to more than 30 elderly patients.Held on Feb 23, known as “renri” – the seventh day of the lunar calendar traditionally celebrated as the universal birthday of humankind – the event marked NJC Interact Club’s second annual Chinese New Year concert for JCH patients. NJC Interact Club students from the organising team volunteer at the hospital every week.The 90-minute concert included a skit performed by NJC’s Chinese Language Drama and Debate Society and renditions of songs such as Gong Xi and Dadi Huichun (Spring Returns To Earth) by the NJC choir.Mr Wong said he was pleasantly surprised when the patients began singing along to the instrumental renditions of Mandopop ballads performed by the school’s symphonic band.Some even stepped up to take the microphone and sing, leaving him amazed at how well they remembered the lyrics.In addition to the musical and theatrical highlights, the event featured festive activities, such as calligraphy and the tossing of yusheng – a raw fish salad eaten during the festive period.Retiree Neo Ah What, 72, said: “The whole concert helped to create a festive mood. I want to praise the students for that.”Madam Tan Heok, 78, a homemaker, said she particularly enjoyed the music performances, as the songs brought back fond memories of her childhood.“It was very meaningful. It helps us to kill time and brighten our spirits,” she said in Mandarin.Ms Naseema Banu, a volunteer coordinator at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and JCH, said: “Through this experience, student volunteers learn to communicate and empathise with senior patients as they prepare their performances and interact with them.”NJC student Quek Joo Ning, who was part of the concert organising team, was cheered by the patients’ responses.The 18-year-old said: “I hope they were able to relive their youthful moments. I’m happy that we were able to celebrate this festive occasion with them.”Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here