Strict upbringing by her father, who was a firm disciplinarian, left Madam Victoria Rany Francis with a lifelong fear of speaking to strangers.
To avoid prying neighbours, the 82-year-old keeps the windows and door of her three-room flat closed most of the time.
She spent her time watching television and did not have any friends until Madam Renuka Devi Ratty began visiting her in February 2017.
Madam Ratty, 66, is a volunteer with the Community Befriending Programme run by Fei Yue Community Services in her Commonwealth neighbourhood. The programme’s volunteers befriend seniors to keep loneliness and isolation at bay.
Usually shy and quiet around strangers, Madam Francis felt comfortable with Madam Ratty from her first visit.
Madam Francis’ daughter, Madam Maureen Francis, 58, a part-time exam invigilator, appreciates Madam Ratty spending time with her mother.
She says: “I have not seen my mother so animated, cheerful and talking so freely with anyone except our own family members.
“I can tell she really enjoys Renu’s company. I feel happy for my mother that she has finally made a friend. She won’t admit it, but I know she does feel lonely at times.”
Madam Ratty signed up to be a befriender in November 2016.
She says: “As I enjoy interacting with people, I thought this would be a meaningful way to spend time with other seniors and let them know there are people in the community who care about them.”
Joining the programme has also helped Madam Ratty get to know more people in her neighbourhood since she moved to Commonwealth in February 2016.
“My children are proud of me and I find it rewarding to help ease the loneliness of the seniors I visit. Being a senior does not mean you cannot help others,” she says.
“Volunteer work keeps me physically and mentally active. I don’t dwell on my own problems and I have made new friends.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 11 February 2018