{
  "id": 19021849,
  "title": "Singaporean of the Year finalist: At 90, she still knocks on doors to draw out lonely elderly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/singaporean-of-the-year-finalist-at-90-she-still-knocks-on-doors-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-08T21:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singaporean-of-the-year-finalist-at-90-she-still-knocks-on-doors-to-draw-out-lonely-elderly"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the evening hours, when families have concluded their meals and prepared for the day's end, 90-year-old Ratnam Periowsamy dons her walking stick and ventures out of her Toa Payoh home. As a widow and mother of five, she wanders through the blocks of flats in her neighbourhood in search of elderly individuals residing alone who would benefit from her companionship. Some welcome her with open arms and engage in conversation, while others may not be as receptive. Regardless, Ratnam maintains her unwavering commitment. \"They have moods. You want to work with elders? You have to lower yourself to them and listen,\" she asserts. She reflects on a time when she stood outside an elderly man's residence for an entire hour, as he vented his frustrations about life. The following day, he was in a better mood and agreed to join the community activities she had recommended.\n\nRatnam holds the title of the oldest volunteer in Care Corner Singapore’s Project Neighbour Network, a program that trains seniors to befriend and assist their vulnerable elderly neighbours. As a \"ranger\" in the initiative, she collaborates with another volunteer to approach door-to-door, inviting neighbours to partake in activities organized by Care Corner’s Active Ageing Centre in Toa Payoh East. Known throughout the neighbourhood for her consistent interaction with everyone, particularly those who are alone, Ratnam believes her roots in a close-knit kampung around Tessensohn Road have shaped her compassionate nature. Born in Tamil Nadu, India in 1936, she was brought to Singapore at the age of three months. Growing up with extended family and friends from various backgrounds, she developed a strong sense of community. Ratnam attributes many older people's feelings of loneliness to their modern, concrete living environments, which lack the vibrant neighbourhood atmosphere she experienced in her youth.\n\nHer commitment to helping others stems from her early childhood experiences. While attending St Margaret's Primary School, Ratnam accompanied the principal on numerous mission trips to aid and educate children in need. After moving to St Hilda's School, she began volunteering independently, providing tuition to children residing at The Salvation Army and caring for animals at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These early volunteer experiences instilled a lifelong passion for helping others, even as Ratnam became a homemaker and mother of five. She continued her contributions by teaching neighborhood children mathematics and English, taking a childcare course, and later teaching at a childcare center for approximately ten years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when online learning replaced traditional methods, Ratnam redirected her efforts to collecting salvageable vegetables and bread for those in need, often visiting the bakery late at night to gather about 20 packets of bread to distribute to others.\n\nToday, Ratnam serves as a mentor to others in the Project Neighbour Network, sharing her expertise on how and when to approach the elderly in their homes. Fellow volunteer Mustazah Abdul Hamid, who joined Care Corner in 2023 after retiring as an expatriate consultant, credits Ratnam for her extensive knowledge and approachable demeanor. Mustazah has been inspired by Ratnam's dedication, often observing her beyond simple door-knocking to truly understanding her neighbours' living conditions and showing genuine care. Ratnam's impact extends beyond befriending residents; she organizes games like Rummy-O and other activities at void decks, creating opportunities for social interaction for seniors who may be hesitant to travel to the Active Ageing Centre. Ratnam hopes to revive the kampung spirit within her neighborhood so that the lonely elderly can experience the companionship they once enjoyed in their younger years. In her spare time, she indulges in cooking and engaging in physical activities like seated zumba.",
  "summary": "Ratnam Periowsamy is the oldest volunteer with Care Corner Singapore’s Project Neighbour Network.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}