How Singapores youth leaders bridge the generation gap

“A lot of people don’t understand why their grandparents or parents do things a certain way,” says Benard Rodrigues, “but when they volunteer with seniors, they gain a new perspective and have more empathy for their elderly family members.”

The 18-year-old IT student is the creator of Project InterGen, a joint effort between Jalan Kayu Youth Network (JKYN) and Jalan Kayu Active Ageing Committee (JK AAC) to foster connections between youths and seniors.“

When I first met Benard at a JKYN monthly meeting he looked very introverted,” says 25-year- old history student and JKYN Vice Chairman Siti Nur Sarah, “But when he speaks it’s clear he has a lot of ideas for serving the community. That’s what we want to see among our volunteers.”

Benard (left) and Siti (right) are active members and organisers within the Jalan Kayu Youth Network.

Young movers and shakers

Siti and Benard first dipped their toes into volunteerism in secondary school, distributing food to low-income families in housing estates near their schools.

“Going door to door opened my eyes to many different ways people live in Singapore,” Siti says. “I saw how it was the small things that made residents happy,” recalls Benard, “and I wanted to keep spreading that joy.”

Both sought to volunteer closer to home and joined JKYN, where the idea for Project InterGen was slowly developed.

Project InterGen’s intertidal beach walk.

“For seniors living alone, a home visit could be the only interaction they have during their day,” Benard explains. He wanted to create more opportunities for seniors and youths to mingle, recognising that while younger people are drawn to sustainability-related activities, seniors are more interested in exploring new experiences.

Project InterGen’s events blend the interests of both groups to create shared experiences. Since its 2024 launch, the group has hosted a plant-based food trail through Bedok and an intertidal walk, where participants learned more about Singapore’s rich coastal biodiversity.

Besides seeing sea creatures up close and trying plant-based ice creams, seniors and youths get to learn more about each other through conversation. Project InterGen’s plant-based food trail.

Project InterGen’s plant-based food trail.

“I was holding an elderly lady’s hand and guiding her to the next location when she started speaking to me in Mandarin,” Siti says, “When she realised I could understand her, she began telling me her life story as we walked. It reminded me of walking my late grandparents to their health checkups.”

“I learned that seniors are more trendy than you’d think,” Benard chuckles, “During a walk, one of them wore Gentle Monster sunglasses and was very proud to show them off to us.”

Project InterGen’s intertidal beach walk.

Revitalising community spirit

The connections created by Project InterGen endure well beyond its events. “Now when people see each other at the kopitiam, they’ll say hi and chat,” says Siti, “it’s strengthening our kampung spirit.”

Project InterGen’s upcoming plans include animal-assisted therapy sessions, a heritage tour of Pulau Ubin, and even a Board Games Day.

Although it can be stressful balancing school with volunteering, neither Benard nor Siti have plans to slow down.

Project InterGen’s plant-based food trail.

Benard says that taking the first step is the most important part of volunteering. “People should just try it, because there’s no other way to know whether it’s for you,” he says.

She meets many eager youths who want to make a difference but aren’t sure where to begin.

Her advice? “I try to expose them to opportunities and tell them: do first, think later”.

Project InterGen and JKYN are part of PA Youth Movement (PAYM), a collective of 95 Youth Networks whose ground-up initiatives in the areas of mental health, sustainability, and multiculturalism drive change in their local communities. To learn more about various volunteering opportunities like these, head over to giving.sg.