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The Umar Pulavar Tamil High School Alumni Association hosted ‘Natpin Kalai Vizha 2024’ at Chua Soo Kang Safara on Saturday, October 5th, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Approximately 200 alumni attended the event, having purchased 40 silver admission tickets.
The attendees were taken back to their teenage years through music, dance, and drama with the help of artificial intelligence.
Six senior residents from Sree Narayan Mission also attended the event and expressed their affection and gratitude.
The school, originally established in 1946 by the Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League as Umar Pulavar Tamil School, began operating as Umar Pulavar Tamil High School on March 30, 1960, following the completion of a new three-story building.
It also holds the distinction of being the only Tamil high school in Singapore.
Although the school closed in 1982, former students still cherish their memories of studying together as if it were just yesterday.
“We used to participate in many speech competitions and dances. Our principal was very strict,” said Dr. Meenakshi Sabpati, who once studied at the school. “We were involved in groups like the magazine publishing team, scouting, first aid, and conservation but we never neglected our studies,” added Dr. Govindrasu.
The alumni association was founded in 1977.
“Every year, the alumni association organises an event like this,” said Rahmatullah, the Association’s President. “If former students try organising on their own, only a few will be able to reunite. But through this festival, we were able to bring many people together.” He also mentioned that the association helps identify alumni in need of support.
“Contacts given by attendees have been updated,” he added.
Vanitha Singharavelu, who attended the event, shared, “I was happy to reconnect with old friends after many years. The only person missing today is our teacher, who is no longer with us.”
“At that time, we considered our teacher to be like God,” said C. Gunasekaran, the secretary of the association, who also developed the AI-based programme for the event. “The teachers have shaped my life,” he added, quoting a line in Hindi, “जीवन भार मेरा की गाया है” (My life has been shaped by what I’ve learned).
Sheikh Usman from Malarkodi expressed the group’s sentiments: “The school environment was unique in itself. We were saddened by its closure.”
Tamil writers Thanalaetsumi, Sukunabai, and Thanapakyam also shared their experiences: “We looked up to our teacher, M. Thangarasan, as an example. He told stories in such an engaging way that we were inspired to become Tamil writers ourselves, which greatly improved our writing skills.”
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A finalist in the ‘Promising Pioneer’ category, Mr. M K Basi, 94, began his career as a teacher at Victoria School, where he excelled for more than 30 years before retiring in 1985 as the school’s Deputy Headmaster.
He served as President of the Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) for 17 years, and was honored with the Long Service Award by the Ministry of Social and Family Development for his philanthropic contributions.
In addition to his educational and community work, Mr. Basi’s poems have been recognised in Kerala, the United States, and Singapore. He was also awarded the International Library of Poetry’s ‘Editor’s Choice’ award in both 2001 and 2002.
Joseph Vincent, 64, president of The Sowers Novena, won the ‘Best Elder’ category in an online poll held from August 21 to 31.
With over 20 years of dedication to improving the lives of the elderly, Vincent has led numerous initiatives to support residents of single-room housing and foreign workers.
One of his notable efforts, the six-month ‘Share-a-Pot@Home’ campaign, saw 100 volunteers distribute 320 food packets to the Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home.
As an ambassador for Dads for Life, he has also organised various school programmess to strengthen father-son relationships, along with events for foreign workers, including a large entertainment festival attended by 2,500 people.
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A tree plantation ceremony was conducted at Sree Narayana Mission Nursing Home on 17 August to celebrate the ‘Plant4Mother’ movement, which began in India and has since spread globally.
Dr. Shilpak Ambule, the High Commissioner of India to Singapore, along with Mr. Neil Parekh, Nominated Member of Parliament and President of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce, participated in and graced the event.
At the reception, Mr. Anil Sarsijakshan, President of Sree Narayana Mission, highlighted that India’s ‘Plant4Mother’ movement aligns with Singapore’s long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability.
Dr. Shilpak praised the initiative and reaffirmed India’s dedication to environmental protection.
In anticipation of the event, both guests came together to plant neem trees at the nursing home.
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A photo of a late family member, an old kampung house, a piece of white sugar cake… these elements, combined with artificial intelligence, may soon be part of innovative dementia treatment approaches. Local nursing homes are set to integrate these personalized techniques for dementia care.
On Sunday (August 25), Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Inspire Healthcare to explore advanced medical techniques that could bring a more human-centered approach to the mission’s nursing homes, day care centres, and other facilities.
Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) CEO: Ensuring Dignity for the Elderly
Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore), a charity organisation, currently operates a nursing home in Yishun with 224 beds. In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, the organization’s president, Mr. S. Devendran, shared that by 2028, the mission plans to build two more nursing homes. This expansion will bring the total number of beds across the three nursing homes to nearly 900. In addition, the mission runs three elderly care centres in Yishun, Woodlands, and Bedok, offering services such as dementia care and community rehabilitation.
“It is our responsibility to ensure they live here with dignity,” he stated.
Wu Huimin, Executive Chairman of Inspire Healthcare, told reporters that over the past year and a half, the company has been developing a dementia treatment method in collaboration with both local and international experts. She added that they are considering launching a pilot project in nursing homes affiliated with Sree Narayana Mission in the future.
She explained that although dementia patients may not be familiar with many things around them, they still have memories of the past. For example, photos of deceased relatives can stimulate their brains, as can the kampongs they lived in and the food they ate in the past.
“We use various stimuli to engage the patient’s memory, and with the assistance of artificial intelligence, we create a personalised treatment plan,” she explained.
This innovative approach was welcomed by Ms. Teresa Omli Tacis, a senior nurse at Sree Narayana Mission’s Nursing Home in Yishun. She shared with reporters that dementia patients often become angry without apparent cause, making nursing care challenging. However, old photos have proven helpful in some cases.
“When we showed the patients their old photos, they were able to recall many memories and even shared details about their past hobbies,” she said.
The signing ceremony took place at Naval Base Secondary School as part of a community event celebrating the 170th birth anniversary of Sree Narayana Guru, an Indian saint, philosopher, and spiritual leader, whom the organisation is named after. On the same day, the mission also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Health Services Employees Union and the social service organisation, AWWA. Mr. Murali Pillai, Minister of State for Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, attended the event as the Guest of Honour and urged the public to support the mission’s social initiatives.
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Sree Narayana Mission is set to open its third nursing home by 2028 after being awarded a contract by the Ministry of Health to establish a new facility with 270 beds in Lorong Chencharu, a developing residential area in Nee Soon GRC.
Currently, Sree Narayana Mission operates a 224-bed nursing home in the Chong Pang area, with plans to expand this capacity to 832 beds within four years. Additionally, under a nine-year contract awarded by the Ministry of Health, the organisation will manage a second 302-bed nursing home at Riverwalk are in Nee Soon, expected to be ready by 2026.
Since its inception, Sree Narayana Mission has provided a comprehensive range of care services to the elderly. The expansion into Lorong Chencharu will significantly contribute to meeting the increasing demand for senior care services in Singapore.
“It is humbling and gratifying that the Ministry of Health has shown its confidence in SNM’s ability to deliver care for seniors with dignity by awarding it a third nursing home to manage,” said Mr S. Devendran, CEO of Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore).
Mr Devendran expressed gratitude for the Ministry of Health’s confidence in the organisation’s ability to deliver dignified care for seniors through the management of a third nursing home. He noted the substantial growth of Sree Narayana Mission and its continued commitment to enhancing elderly care services.
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https://www.tamilmurasu.com.sg/singapore/story20240425-150463
