From Four Walls to Open Arms

From Four Walls to Open Arms

Step into Lions Befrienders Active Ageing Centre at 420A Clementi, and you’ll be greeted not by silence, but by laughter. Seniors gather around tables—so many that some spill out into the lobby area. There’s rummikub being played in one corner, mahjong tiles clacking in another, and the unmistakable buzz of happy chatter filling the air. It feels less like a community centre and more like a family reunion in full swing.

Before Lions Befrienders came into her life, Madam Gan Peck Har’s days were simple—almost too simple.

我都很简单的,原因就是跟先生两个人一起看电视,对着四面墙,”

“My life was very simple. My husband and I just watched television, staring at four walls all day.”

At 71, she had never worked, never made many friends, and spent most of her life caring for her children and husband. Social circles were small, conversations few.

以前没有做工,就没有朋友,”

 

“I never worked, so I didn’t have any friends.”

Then someone directed her to a place she’d never heard of—the Lions Befrienders Active Ageing Centre at 420A Clementi. At first, she was hesitant.

“第一次来我不懂…我只是来拿免费的trolley就跑了,”

“The first time I came, I didn’t really know what it was about… I just came to collect a free trolley and left.”

But something about the place drew her back. Maybe it was the cheerful voices drifting out from a bingo game. Maybe it was the way people laughed, moved freely, and talked as if they had known each other for years. So, she returned.

And then, something magical happened.

 

Madam Gan, with her bright spirit and boundless laughter, began to blossom. The once-quiet homemaker who spent her days in front of the TV suddenly found herself surrounded by laughter, activities, and — most importantly — friends.

“我以前一个朋友都没有,现在好多!”
“I didn’t have a single friend before. Now, I have so many!”

From baking workshops to bingo sessions, outings to kopi breaks, every activity brought her closer to others.

“我本来不会打麻将的,现在会了,很好玩!”
“I didn’t know how to play mahjong before — now I do, and it’s so fun!”

More than just games, Lions Befrienders gave her the gift of being seen.

“每个人看到我都会跟我讲话,”
“Everyone who sees me starts talking to me.”

One fellow senior even gave her a nickname: “笑佛,” meaning “Laughing Buddha,” because, as he put it,

“你每天笑嘻嘻的,都没有烦恼.”
“You’re always smiling. It’s like you have no worries.”

It wasn’t that her life was perfect. Madam Gan, like many seniors, knows loneliness, aging, and the quiet ache of being left behind as children grow up. But she chooses joy

时间到了我们当然会走的嘛,担心做么?今天看到天明就好了。
“When the time comes, of course we’ll go. So why worry? If I can see the morning, that’s enough for me.” 

It’s this perspective — this rare ability to find light in the everyday — that makes her so loved at the centre. She’s not just a participant. She’s the sunshine that people gather around.

我什么才华都没有,我的才华就是开心!
“I don’t have any special talents. My talent is being happy!”

She doesn’t just make friends — she creates community. When she notices a newcomer sitting alone, she gently brings them in. At Lions Befrienders, she didn’t just find a place to go—she found herself and she wants to share that with more people.

“我朋友们都是开心族,” she said with a wink.
“My friends all belong to the happy club.”

One of her dearest friendships began with a simple call from a lady she met at the centre.

“她早上来,我没来,她就打给我说:‘有节目你要不要来?’ 我说:‘要!’”
“She came in the morning and I didn’t. She called me: ‘There’s a program, do you want to come?’ I said: ‘Yes!’”

These little gestures — invitations, laughter, shared snacks — became the fabric of a new life. A life filled not with television reruns and empty afternoons, but with spontaneous karaoke, meaningful chats, and meals shared between friends.

She’s become an unofficial ambassador of the centre and the irony is Mdm. Gan doesn’t even own a mobile phone, she uses a landline. She chooses to be connected in person rather than through phone.

你们很有空吗,我带你们去一个地方啦,” she tells her friends.
“You all seem so free — let me bring you somewhere!”

She explains that there are games, crafts, music, and companionship — everything a senior might need to feel alive and appreciated again.

你们自己选择你们需要的,就来报名吧!
“Pick what you like, and come sign up!”

The impact of Lions Befrienders in her life is immeasurable. It’s not just a centre; it’s her sanctuary.

我很开心,这里是我唯一可以来的地方。如果没有这里,我没有地方去。
“I’m so happy — this is the only place I can come to. Without it, I’d have nowhere to go.”

Because that’s who she is — a joyful soul who turns strangers into friends, four walls into open arms, and ordinary days into something unforgettable.

 

If you or someone you know has been staring at four walls too long, maybe it’s time to step into a place like Lions Befrienders. There might be a table waiting, a game to join, a hand to hold — and someone like Madam Gan ready to give you her happy smile.

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