words & images Victoria Neo & Jaslyn Quek

Who is that one person you look at and wonder in awe how they constantly radiate all things good? For us, it’s our grandmothers. Growing up, we both saw our grandmothers as the best figure of love in our lives (and from that, we both grew soft spots for old people in general). Our grandmothers not only taught us how to love those around us, but how to spread love. As we struggle our way through unprecedented times like COVID-19, we realised that something needs to be done to support these old people. No doubt there are others in need as well, but we know these unsung heroes are still tirelessly working to support the community despite facing higher risks if they were to contract the virus.

Together, we decided to come up with an initiative called #STAYSAFEAHMA - the name inspired by our very own grandmothers.

The aim of the initiative is to not only provide care packages for these seniors to better protect them from the virus but to also thank them for their hard work. What motivated this project was the strength and resilience exhibited by our grandmothers as they lived through tough times and strived hard to better their lives, paving way for what we have today. We know that many elderly are in similar positions by circumstance and wanted to celebrate this spirit, all the more in this season when they are working when they should be staying home and being safe. COVID-19 was the perfect time for us to start an initiative to call our own since it was something that we both wanted to do for a long time now. 

We’re now seeing how people are using social media increasingly as a platform to share about causes and give back to society, more than ever before. Hence, we decided to use Instagram as an effective way to bring awareness to #STAYSAFEAHMA. We materialised our initiative by kicking off with a fundraiser, with hopes of raising $2,000 for 100 care packages. To our surprise, we managed to raise almost $10,000 in just 3 hours. It was extremely heartening to see the amount of support we received, and we learnt from the generous contributors that they resonated well with our initiative as they share the same affinity with the term ‘ah ma’.

Beyond the late-night planning and fundraising, we also distributed the care packs ourselves. We spent 4 consecutive weekends combing all over Singapore for the elderly who were still working, to brighten up their day. Two ladies handling all the care packs was definitely strenuous, but we believed we could do it. No doubt it left us aching for days, but it only made us realise how physically draining it was for them to be constantly on their feet doing manual work. Through this process, many stories from the elderly were shared with us as well. It was really moving to hear snippets of their life, and their priceless smiles made all the hard work worth it. We are beyond grateful that #STAYSAFEAHMA was a huge success even though it was our first time working on an initiative like such.

We truly understand all the cliches on a deeper level now - like how it feels better to give than to receive and to be grateful for the ability to give because we are first given as well as the essence of paying it forward. It was not only material things we were giving to the elderly but that it is within our capacity to touch others around us. We want the elderly to feel seen, cared for and know they are recognized for the work they do. Their efforts are immensely appreciated and definitely do not go unnoticed.

 During this pandemic, we see a lot of people banding together. Various causes are sprouting and we can do our part by sharing, donating and even coming up with initiatives. There is so much we can do! While we all adjust and adapt, it starts from home where we look out for family or even be a good neighbour. This is the time to support each other, educating ourselves and being attuned to what we would not usually consider. Most are comfortable at home but some have it worse. Aside from the elderly, there are tons of issues that still need help - real cases like domestic violence, sexual abuse, depression and anxiety exist. One’s discomfort does not take away another’s reality. Reach out more and check in on friends who might need it. There are so many ways to give back to society if people would be willing to donate their time, effort or monetarily. 

It’s important to realise our privilege and not take it for granted. As women, we are often overlooked and undervalued, but the ability to impact lives and inspire change is not defined by gender. Let’s do whatever we can to help others, because even if the virus is gone, these issues still exist. We should never forget to spread love and help others.