Single, Strong, and Connected
Mdm. Yew Poh Chue may be single, but she’s far from being alone. At 68, she’s rewriting what it means to age on your own terms—with purpose, humour, and heart. From quiet independence to discovering connection and joy through Lions Befrienders, Her journey shows that aging isn’t about winding down—it’s about widening your world.
Her Life, Her Terms:
At 68, Mdm. Yew Poh Chue isn’t slowing down. She’s striding into her golden years with clarity, conviction, and a solid pair of walking shoes.
Every morning starts the same: up at 6am, out the door for a brisk walk. “I go out and walk about half an hour to an hour, go home, and then I do whatever I have to do—sometimes some part-time work or just errands,” she shares. It’s not a routine born out of obligation but intention. “Life doesn’t wait, so why should I?”
Though she lives alone in the three-room flat her parents once owned, Mdm. Yew isn’t bothered by solitude. The home still echoes with memories, not silence. “My nieces and nephews still call this ‘Grandma’s house’. They like coming back.” For her, the flat remains a family home—a space filled with warmth, continuity, and meaning.
But this sense of calm and purpose didn’t come easily. A few years ago, Mdm. Yew found herself in a place she never expected.
From Isolation to Action
During the pandemic, the usually steady and resilient Mdm. Yew was knocked off course. She fell ill repeatedly and found herself trapped in a spiral of fatigue and despair. “I thought I was going to die alone at home,” she recalls. “I lost my voice, I couldn’t eat, I had no strength to move.”
Her family, noticing her deterioration, stepped in. One niece insisted that Mdm. Yew come and stay for a while. A doctor suggested the simplest but most crucial first step: get out of the house.
“I had to restart,” she says. “Otherwise, nothing was going to change.” And so, she did. Slowly. Hesitantly. Determinedly.
Then came the unexpected catalyst: an MP walkabout in her neighbourhood. “I didn’t know about Lions Befrienders until someone told me during the walkabout. They said, ‘You go down and take a look.’ Little did she know this would open a door she hadn’t known she needed and change her life.
A New Chapter Begins
Her first visit to Lions Befrienders Active Ageing Centre at Mei Ling 150 was tentative. It didn’t take long before she met Molly, a team member who recognised something in Mdm. Yew that she hadn’t yet recognised in herself.
“Actually, I was quite keen to do some volunteering work, but I didn’t know where to start,” Mdm. Yew says. “Molly told me, ‘Don’t worry, just be around. Participate in the activity, then we’ll see what you can do.’”
Lions Befrienders didn’t ask her for perfection, just presence.
A few weeks in, Molly nudged her again. “She said, ‘I think you can do more than attend activities—you can help others.’ I said, ‘Me? Volunteer?’ But she said, ‘Yes. I believe in you.’ That made all the difference.”
From Participant to Advocate
What started with small tasks—helping with attendance, encouraging seniors to join activities—grew into something much deeper. Mdm. Yew now volunteers regularly, including participating in home visits for seniors who can’t come to the centre.
“I call them the senior seniors,” she jokes. “I’m just a junior senior.”
During these visits, Mdm. Yew listens—really listens—to stories, frustrations, memories, and worries. She understands that what matters most isn’t fixing problems, but simply being present.
“These people have raised families, built lives, worked hard. They deserve to be heard, to feel that someone still cares.”
And in the process, Mdm. Yew says, she gets something invaluable in return. “They share their experience, their frustrations… and in return? I learn. I grow. I heal.”
On Aging, Singlehood, and Finding Her Own Path
Mdm. Yew has never married, and for her, that fact has never been a source of sorrow. “It just didn’t happen. What can I do?” she shrugs. “I think I still get family support even though I don’t have my own immediate family… so I don’t have to worry.”
Her siblings, nieces, and sister-in-law check in regularly. They message, they visit, they notice when she’s been too quiet. “They don’t let me go MIA (missing in action) for too long,” she jokes affectionately.
Still, she’s honest about the emotional terrain of aging alone. “That fear—of being unwell and alone—it still pops up. But I also know now that I have people who care. I have Lions Befrienders. And I have myself.”
That sense of self-reliance is central to her idea of aging well. “Being independent. Not needing a walking stick. Laughing often. Giving back. That’s what a good old age looks like to me.”
Community, Friendship, and Purpose
Over the last three years, Lions Befrienders has become a foundation in Mdm. Yew’s life. It’s not just a centre—it’s a community.
She’s built lasting friendships with fellow seniors. “Besides the activities, actually the friends I made are a lot from the AAC,” she says. “They go on walks together, share meals, and even organise their own outings. One of them even took us to Coney Island—he cooks, plans outings, tells us about local history… better than a tour guide!”
For many seniors, Mdm. Yew says, the centre is more than just a place to pass time. “When someone says, ‘Can you help me with this?’ or ‘Can you check this for me?’ it means they trust me. That fills me with joy.”
These interactions remind her that aging doesn’t mean fading—it means evolving.
Lessons from the Journey
If there’s one thing Mdm. Yew has learned, it’s that change only happens when you step outside. “If you continue to stay home, nothing is going to change. That was me—nothing was happening. So, I had to get out. Just do something.”
She believes one of the most misunderstood things about aging is that seniors are no longer capable. “Some people think you’re old and very far away from them… that you don’t know things. But we still matter. We still have skills, stories, and a lot to give.”
And if she had to sum up her journey in one sentence?
“I come here not knowing what I needed,” she says with a smile. “But now? I don’t know what I’d do without it.”
Lions Befrienders gave Mdm. Yew more than something to do—it gave her a renewed sense of self. And she’s just getting started.
