Greenland Childcare Centre @Punggol Drive: Stay Connected, Make a Difference

As the name suggests, Greenland Childcare Centre @Punggol Drive’s Start Small Dream Big (SSDB) project focused on the intergenerational interaction between the elderly and children via the use of technology – ensuring that the connection between the 2 generations will never fade.

To commemorate the launch of their SSDB project, the children participated by planting lemongrass and pandan leaves. They were used to make scent pouches or bottles for the elderly. The inhalation of these scents has beneficial calming effects, helping them to foster relaxation and deep sleep.

An in-kind donation drive partnering the children’s families was organised where they took part in selecting suitable necessities from the supermarket for the elderly. A total of 122 donation bags which included the scented bottles and pouches were gathered from this donation.

A memorable Zoom session with the elderly was organised on 3 August 2021. The elderly were guided on how to make their very own scented bottles and the children guided them through a step-by-step demonstration. They did simple exercises accompanied by lively songs and had a cake-cutting celebration to further nurture the bond between the 2 generations.

The project was concluded via a fundraising event supported by Preschool Market and NParks. Items like handmade scented bottles, pouches, painted plant pots and mini bottled garden raised a total of $1,180 for the eldercare centre.

All these different initiatives have one goal in mind: to stir in the hearts of the children, values such as patience, compassion, and empathy towards the vulnerable individuals in society.

The children and teachers learnt values such as appreciation, care, love, helpfulness and compassion while doing this project with the elderly. The children are much more attentive towards these people in our society after learning about their characteristics and traits during the start of the project. Overall, this project was a good platform for children, teachers and even parents to reach out to the elderly in our society. The pandemic will not stop them from showing care and concern to the people in the community. There is always a way to do community work as long as they have the heart to do so.