Commencement of the Inaugural SUSS-NUNCHI MARINE Age Well Programme

SUSS student interns with Social Gifting and our Japanese guests from Baba Lab and Miharu.

The first SUSS-NUNCHI MARINE Age Well Programme kicked off on 7 March 2023! CEOs of two Japanese startups, Baba Lab and Miharu, graced the event despite their busy schedules. They shared their first-hand experiences of social capital and how the youths empower older persons in Japan, a country that is currently facing a super-ageing population growth. 

SUSS startup, Social Gifting, and 27 SUSS undergraduates participated in the one-week exclusive programme which included a two-day community outreach at Lion Befrienders and a public forum at Heartbeat@Bedok. During the programme, the students had the opportunity to learn unique Japanese crafts from Baba Lab facilitated by the team from Social Gifting. The Baba Lab team brought textile and craft materials to make the beautiful Butterfly Clip, Omamori Pouch and Azuma Bukuro Bag. Following that, the SUSS team visited the community space at Ghim Moh to share their newfound knowledge with the older generation of Lions Befrienders. Additionally, a live zoom session was held on the final day of the programme with the Japanese elderlies, with the oldest being a 92-year-old from Saitama! This session allowed for the exchange of cultural perspectives and ideas between the students and the Japanese elderly.

SUSS students working on Japanese crafts with seniors under the watchful eyes of the Baba Lab team.

Happy seniors from Lion Befrienders flashing their finger hearts with the Social Gifting team, SUSS students and Baba Lab members.

The completed crafts were then showcased for sale at Heartbeat@Bedok during the PA Industry Guru forum. The event was attended by SMS Tan Kiat How, Advisor of East Coast GRC, and over 150 inter-generational guests. The exhibition of crafts was an excellent opportunity to promote inter-generational bonds and showcase the talents of both the young and old.

(First roll from left to right) Heartware CEO, See Leng, GOH, SMS Tan Kiat How, Dr Kelvin Tan, Madoka-san, Nao-san and Kuwahara-san.

Through the unique experience of interacting with the passionate CEOs of popular Japanese startups, the students learnt not only new techniques in craft-making and business models but also essential communication skills when interacting with people of different age groups. The experience helped the students understand the importance of cross-generational communication, and they gained valuable insights into Japanese culture and its approach to ageing.

Social Gifting has always been driven by its special mission to empower charity organisations through activities with older persons and community volunteers. As the 8th batch of SUSS students interning with Social Gifting, they have continued to uphold this mission and performed exceptionally well in their attachment with Valen, the founder of Social Gifting. Their hard work and passion have contributed to the success of the programmes and made a significant impact on the community.

Jerome Tan, SUSS Marketing student, learned a lot from their Japanese friends on how they engage the elderly community and equip them with skills which improve their quality of life. He recalled, “During our volunteering sessions at Lions Befrienders Ghim Moh, the elderly were very eager to learn from us. Seeing how happy they were despite only spending such a short amount of time with them, made me appreciate my grandparents and value the time I should spend with them. During the Q&A session at the event, we also heard from the members of the public and this gave me a better understanding of the concerns the elderly in our country are facing and how we as a community can better provide and care for them in years to come.”

Lucas Koh, another SUSS Marketing student, also reflected on his experience, “I realised that both Singapore and Japan share the same prevalent issues of active ageing so it warms my heart that I was able to contribute to meaningful activities such as spending quality time by making crafts with the elderly at Lions Befrienders Ghim Moh. Social Gifting has also made me appreciate my grandparents more and I paid them a visit shortly after the event ended. Finally, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to share future collaboration ideas with our friends from Japan during the well-being and social innovations dialogue at Heartbeat@Bedok in hopes to create a positive impact towards elderlies in Singapore.”

Jerome Tan (Left) and Lucas Koh (Right)

Dr Kelvin Tan, Head of Programme of Minor in Applied Ageing, will be inviting more experts from overseas to visit SUSS as part of the SUSS-NUNCHI Marine Age Well Programme. Stay tuned for more to come!