Ivy, 72 years old
Happy 50! Batch 55 Graduate

Saving her Marriage through Self-Reflection

Ivy is a fiercely independent and strong willed person, having managed her family’s convenience shop from the age of 19. Dealing with customers from all walks of life, merchants and vendors, had been a part of her life and she was used to being “tough” and exacting. This way of living caused her to be accustomed to carry herself in an impatient and overbearing way, even to those closest and dearest to her. While these communication challenges were bearable previously, the nCovid-19 pandemic brought things to a head. During the circuit breaker, Ivy and her husband were cooped up at home every day. The lack of space and increased frequency in contact between the two led to a great deal of unhappiness and disputes between them. Ivy expressed that at their worst, the couple even contemplated divorce.

Ivy chanced upon the Happy 50! course while listening to Mr Samuel Ng’s talk show on 95.8FM. Intrigued by the course offerings on communication skills, she decided to enroll in it. While she was unsure about what the impact might be, she really hoped for a positive change in her familial relationships.

Applying the learnings form the communication class, Ivy, for the first time in her life, asked her children to identify and point out her flaws. While this was difficult for her to listen to, doing so helped her to realise the changes she could make to enhance her own communication skills. She consciously put aside her feelings and applied herself to use the tips taught in class. By listening more and slowly becoming more receptive to differing opinions and ideas, Ivy found herself being more able to understand those around her. With time, her relationship with her husband improved significantly, and thoughts of divorce also vanished.

“It is amazing how these few weeks of class has changed me so much! I have become a happier person with positive energy.” Ivy exclaimed.

Mr Chua, 84 years old
Happy 50! Batch 54 Graduate

Ah Gong attends E-Learning? No problem!

Before the pandemic hit, Mr Chua was an active member of various community activities. When the Circuit Breaker started, all these activities were halted. leaving him all cooped up at home. His daughter came across YAH!’s recruitment advertisement on Facebook and signed him up for the Happy 50! online course so he could be engaged and stay active at home. Initially, Mr Chua was reluctant to attend as he preferred outdoor activities and face-to-face interactions. With his daughter’s encouragement, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and gave it a shot.

Through the course, not only did he forge new friendships, he also equipped himself with digital knowledge and social platforms like Facebook and Zoom. He was able to stay connected with his friends through such platforms during the Circuit Breaker. Though Mr Chua is at a ripe age of 84, he still adopts a positive and proactive attitude towards learning, truly an epitome of lifelong learning.

Mdm Tang, 70 years old
Happy 50! Batch 56 Graduate

Fulfills Education Dream with Daughter’s Support

Due to financial constraints, Mdm Tang never had to chance to receive formal education. She watched her friends and elder sister attend school in envy and always wished that she too had to chance to experience it. This dream seemed even more unattainable when the pandemic hit. When her daughter encouraged her to attend YAH!’s online course, she decided to take a leap of faith.

As Mdm Tang was not well equipped with digital knowledge, she had her daughter to accompany her during each session. Apart from completing weekly tasks, which were sent into learning groups by her daughter on Mdm’s Tang behalf, Mdm Tang even tapped on new digital platforms like Zoom to share her reflections with her classmates and trainer. This was a huge breakthrough for her. To Mdm Tang, the completion of this course had been a fruitful journey, through her online and offline sharings with her groupmates.

Mdm Tang’s daughter, Li Ling, shared, “I am so happy to be able to part of my mother’s learning journey, it has brought us closer and helped me understand her better.”