VIA Mid- Autumn Festival Celebration with elderly from AWWA on 07 Sep 2024

By Deputy Senior Sixer Zeqi 

Today, we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with elderly guests from AWWA. To prepare for the event, we brought mooncakes as part of the celebration. The day began at 9 a.m. with a briefing from Hathi, who outlined the agenda. Grey Wolf then explained the rules for the game we would play with the seniors, demonstrating with the help of the sixers.

The game involved each of us sitting opposite an elderly participant, sharing two ribbons with them—one end of each ribbon held by us and the other end by the senior. The objective was to transport a balloon from one end of the table to the other, passing it through a goalpost. Due to the limited number of elderly guests—35 in total—not all cubs could pair up with a senior. Consequently, some of us functioned as gamekeepers or gamemasters in separate groups.

When the seniors arrived, we escorted them to the canteen, where we had set up the area for our activities. The game was a hit, and both the cubs and the elderly participants enjoyed playing and conversing together. We made sure to interact enthusiastically, helping everyone feel comfortable and at ease.

Following the games, we engaged in an arts and crafts session. We assisted the elderly in colouring handheld fans, which featured charming designs. The seniors were provided with markers, and for those who needed extra help, the cubs became their hands, colouring according to their instructions. Although the process was slow, it allowed for meaningful conversations between the cubs and the elderly.

As the activity concluded, some seniors expressed hunger and thirst. The cubs had a quick snack of bread, while the seniors enjoyed a meal of mee siam, a meat patty, a hard-boiled egg, and vegetables. We joined them at the tables, keeping them company as they ate. During the meal, a few seniors entertained us with songs, and DragonHeart encouraged the cubs to join in with a few songs of our own.

Unfortunately, all good things must end. After presenting each senior with a goodie bag containing our mooncakes, we escorted them to the bus bay and said our farewells. We waved vigorously until their bus departed from the school. We then cleaned up the area and held a final debrief before being dismissed.

This experience brought joy to both the elderly and the cubs and reinforced the importance of nurturing intergenerational relationships. This experience has left an impression on us, reminding us of the simple yet profound impact of spending time with others and valuing their stories and wisdom. We learnt from the elderly’s experiences, allowing us to better prepare for the future.