Students work on a social care advocacy project to engage elderly men and connect them with community resources.
In Singapore, 77-year-old Foo Hwee Wan, a retired timber worker, spends much of his time at coffee shops, where he socializes with friends and enjoys his 16 pet birds. Despite his active social life, Foo was not connected to an active ageing centre (AAC), which provides support and activities for seniors. In May 2024, Foo met a group of students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, part of a project called Hack Kopitiam, which aims to bridge the gap between seniors and social care services.
The project was designed to reach out to seniors who, like Foo, frequent coffee shops but do not attend AACs. The initiative, led by the Lien Foundation and the Forest & Whale design agency, began by engaging seniors with ice-breaker activities such as caricature drawings, helping students learn about their lives, routines, and needs. Through this, the students connected seniors to local services like Montfort Care’s Goodlife Studio, where Foo now participates in activities he was previously unaware of.
Hack Kopitiam also works to address the challenge of reaching senior men, who are often less engaged with AACs compared to women. These men are more likely to enjoy the social freedom of coffee shops, which offer a flexible, open environment. By organizing community-based activities such as stone stacking and lifestyle mapping, the project fosters social connections and encourages seniors to interact with others, even if they choose not to join an AAC.
The project has already reached over 270 seniors across different neighbourhoods, and its impact is being felt through the creation of new social networks. A “Hack Kopitiam Playbook” will be developed to guide other AACs in implementing similar community-based interventions. Students involved in the project have discovered that seniors often possess hidden talents and skills, challenging stereotypes about aging.
The Hack Kopitiam project is also fostering intergenerational bonds. For example, 91-year-old William Lam has taught calligraphy to fellow seniors, and 45-year-old Madam Noorsiah Ibrahim shares her crochet skills. These activities provide seniors with opportunities to contribute, learn, and build stronger connections with both their peers and younger generations.
This initiative is an example of how innovative social care programs can make a meaningful difference in seniors’ lives by bringing services directly to where they already gather.
