How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly

Straits Times

23-07-2025

Apart from being a health peer, this polytechnic graduate is also a grassroots leader who makes meaningful use of his time to help the community
As a Health Peer volunteer with the National University Health System, Mr Donavan Tan (right) was paired with Madam Chiang Kam Yoke to encourage her to adopt healthier eating habits.
Once a month, 88-year-old Madam Chiang Kam Yoke meets a young man at a coffeeshop in Jurong West for an hour of happy conversation over her kopi siu dai.
The young man is 20-year-old Donavan Tan, and though they were once strangers, both Mr Tan and Madam Chiang now share a precious bond, honed through a volunteering opportunity.
As a Health Peer volunteer with the National University Health System (NUHS), Mr Tan was paired with Madam Chiang in July last year as she was identified to be at risk of developing diabetes. His job? To offer peer support and encourage her to adopt healthier eating habits.
Watch to learn why Mr Donavan Tan chooses to spend his time volunteering and engaging seniors like Madam Chiang.
During their monthly meet-ups at the coffeeshop, they would spend time catching up, with Madam Chiang updating him about her recent day-to-day activities and the courses she signed up for to keep occupied.
Mr Tan would also take the opportunity to stress to her the need for a healthy diet and to show care and concern for his friend.
'I would ask her if she's been able to walk properly,' he says, noting that Madam Chiang has weak knees due to wear and tear.
Once strangers, Mr Tan and Madam Chiang now have a unique but enduring friendship. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
During Chinese New Year, the two also exchanged red packets. 'We even 'bai nian' at the coffeeshop,' laughs Mr Tan, referring to the tradition of exchanging New Year greetings with Mandarin oranges.
Serendipitously, what started as a three-month volunteering stint has now turned their relationship into a heartwarming friendship.
Mr Tan catches up with Madam Chiang once a month and occasionally buys her a 'cheat meal' of prata to lift her spirits. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DONAVAN TAN
From participant to practitioner
Supporting Madam Chiang as a health peer is not Mr Tan's only volunteering stint. He also helps out at the NUHS community health screenings, while supporting the wider community through his work as a grassroots leader with the People's Association, and also at his constituency's weekly Meet-the-People Sessions (MPSes).
When he found out NTUC Learning Hub was providing basic care support training, he signed up for that as well and was deployed to NTUC Jurong West nursing home where he assisted nurses in providing patient care.
Interestingly enough, Mr Tan, who has recently been enlisted for National Service, describes the start of his volunteering journey as 'accidental'.
SGShare: How more S'poreans can help the vulnerable
Singaporeans now have
a new platform to help fellow Singaporeans in need .
To mark SG60, Community Chest's regular giving programme, Share, has been rebranded as SGShare to rally more to give regularly and support critical social service programmes.
Starting this year, donations will be matched by the Singapore Government under the SG Gives matching grant, with up to $250 million available.
Every dollar donated will help vulnerable communities, offering them opportunities to pursue their goals regardless of background.
Here is a simple illustration of how your SGShare contribution can go a long way.
In 2022, during his first semester break at Singapore Polytechnic, Mr Tan wanted to use his time more meaningfully. This came up while chatting with his secondary school teacher, who suggested he try helping out at the MPS – and so he did.
'I just walked in one random Monday and told them I want to volunteer,' he recalls.
At these sessions, he meets people from all walks of life. What really tugged at his heartstrings were the elderly, especially those with health issues – interactions that deepened his interest in the medical sector and spurred him to volunteer with NUHS.
Says the biomedical science diploma graduate: 'Volunteering provides me with a platform to help others; to uplift them, and to support them in improving their circumstances.'
As a grassroots leader, Mr Tan (far right) also helps to promote various causes like racial and religious harmony. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DONAVAN TAN
Meeting others who did not have the same access to healthcare as he did also pushed him to pursue further studies in medicine at the National University of Singapore. 'I want to serve, but from a medical standpoint,' says Mr Tan.
'Being a doctor is also about diagnosing and treating their non-medical needs for holistic care. Volunteering has also taught me a lot about how to interact with individuals of diverse age groups, racial groups and socioeconomic groups.'
Mr Tan shares that individuals can always volunteer without feeling the pressure to commit long term. 'Whether you are comfortable talking to people, or prefer working in the background, there are roles for everyone.'
Inspired to uplift others like Mr Tan does? This SG60, give back to our community in your own way.
Visit Giving.sg and help build a more caring, inclusive Singapore.
Celebrating SG60 with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth