As a Community Care Executive, Nidhi Gupta ensures the well-being of seniors and also encourages them to be physically and socially active. (Photo by Donn Tan)
Despite only joining Tzu Chi Seniors Engagement & Enabling Node @ Bukit Batok (SEEN @ Bukit Batok) as a Community Care Executive in March 2024, Nidhi Gupta went on to clinch the Individual Award at the Healthcare Humanity Awards 2024 seven months later. The award is given to those who have made outstanding contributions to Singapore's healthcare ecosystem. For those who have seen Nidhi at work, the win came as little surprise.
Madam Poh Lay Choo, a 73-year-old senior who regularly attends the programmes at SEEN @ Bukit Batok, said she respects Nidhi deeply. "She does everything with great enthusiasm. She is eager to help others, and when the seniors approach her with questions, she explains with absolute clarity. She can also singlehandedly bring a group of 40 seniors on excursions to Mandai Wildlife Reserve or Gardens by the Bay."
Lee Weng Foo, Acting Community Care Manager, Medical Services, Tzu-Chi Foundation (Singapore), echoed this sentiment. “It is not easy for a non-Chinese person to work at Tzu Chi, let alone thrive. Nidhi makes an extraordinary effort to connect with the seniors, regardless of their race and religion. To overcome the language barrier, she communicates with the seniors by using a mix of sign language and basic English. All of the Indian programmes curated by her are oversubscribed, with many of the participants being non-Indian. Using Tzu Chi vocabulary, she is a bodhisattva helping us to navigate a very challenging journey.”
Bonding with seniors
Born in New Delhi, India, Nidhi laps up every opportunity to share her culture with the residents. For her very first event at SEEN @ Bukit Batok, she drew on her experience organising festivals to host a Holi-inspired game for the residents. Traditionally, this boisterous Hindu Festival of Colours sees participants playfully douse one another with gulal, or coloured powder. From bursts of flying powder to splashes of water, the streets would buzz with energy as laughter rings out.
The event at SEEN @ Bukit Batok was a toned-down rendition that still preserved the spirit of the festival. "For the game, each team comprised two partners, and the one facing the audience had to guess the colour his partner was holding up. If he got it wrong, they would have to smear the coloured powder on each other's hand. The seniors loved the game.”
The coloured powder used for Holi. (Photo by Nidhi Gupta)
Even though it was an adaptation of Holi, residents still had a jolly good time. (Photo provided by Nidhi Gupta)
Nidhi does not let language barrier stop her from engaging the seniors, the majority of whom only speak Mandarin or Chinese dialect. She uses food, a universal language, as a means to connect with them and at the same time broaden their culinary palates. Thus far, residents had the chance to savour dhokla, a Gujarati snack made with besan (gram flour), spices, green chili paste, yoghurt, lemon juice and more. There was also panipuri, a sweet-spicy snack made with potato and chickpeas. “Usually you dip it into a concoction, which can be overly spicy for the seniors, so I swapped it with homemade dips,” said Nidhi.
Dancing is in the blood of North Indians, according to Nidhi, and so it was only natural she thought to bring some Bollywood flavour to the Active Ageing Centre (AAC). On top of her daily responsibilities of running the centre, she took up the challenge of helming dance classes and readying a group of seniors for a Bollywood dance competition at the 2024 edition of AgeWell Symposium. Moving to the rhythmic and string-heavy music as well as learning quintessential moves such as thumka and bhangra, the seniors not only worked up a sweat but also enhanced their cognitive abilities and boosted their memory functions. The efforts of the team paid off when they placed second.
Guided by the SEEN @ Bukit Batok team, the all-women Seated Floorball team was crowned Champion while the mixed-gender Captain’s Ball team reached the semi-finals at the 2024 edition of the National Celebration of Seniors. (Photo provided by Nidhi Gupta)
During training, the seniors from SEEN @ Bukit Batok used umbrellas as substitutes to hone their skills. (Photo by Nidhi Gupta)
A team of seniors created an SG59-themed 1.2-metre by 1.8-metre upcycled artwork, setting a new entry in the Singapore Book of Records (SBOR). "They showed up every day and spent eight hours per day creating it. We had to remind them to take a break!" said Nidhi. (Photo by Donn Tan) 
Another team produced a 1.4-metre by 1.8-metre crocheted national flag, which is also listed in the SBOR. (Photo by Donn Tan) 
"They were highly motivated, and that inspired me. If they can do so much, then we too can do more: organise more activities, bring in more seniors and help them become active," said Nidhi. Weng Foo is to the left of Nidhi. (Photo by Donn Tan)
A heart of gold
That she gets to share the rich culture of India with the residents marks a full circle moment for Nidhi. Back at home, she worked as a teacher for over two years after attaining her bachelor's degree. She and her family migrated to Singapore back in 2007, when a job opportunity dropped in her husband's lap. Adjusting to changes, from an unfamiliar environment to food options, was not easy. "My younger daughter struggled with the new faces and the language when she entered kindergarten. That was why I decided to take a pause on my teaching career to focus on my motherly duties."
Wanting to spend her time meaningfully and also assimilate herself into society, Nidhi decided to take up volunteering stints. She hosted storytelling sessions as well as celebrated annual International Friendship Days at her elder daughter’s school, using it as an opportunity to showcase the beauty of India — and other countries — to the students. When her daughter entered secondary school, she helped oversee the onsite recycling shop. “There were many students who had varied needs, and this was a safe space where they could come and find someone to confide in. We also taught them good values, such as encouraging them to focus on studying and not borrowing money from their peers.”
Answering a new calling in life
Uplifting the lives of underserved children for over 20 years enriched her own, with Nidhi's greatest reward being the deep human connections she forged as a volunteer. "The thing about volunteering is that when you give back to society, the society gives to you as well. People will offer help when you need it. For example, when I wanted to organise the Bollywood dance classes, my friend, who's a dance teacher, gladly shared her expertise."
Being an avid dancer, Nidhi lapped up the opportunity to introduce seniors to traditional Indian dance. (Photo provided by Nidhi Gupta)
It was Nidhi's work as a grassroots leader, which started in 2014, that would have an immense impact on her current career trajectory. "My very first impression of Singapore was that it was a rich country, and that the people were all well to do." Visiting the homes of those in need peeled back this facade and opened her eyes to the harsh realities many grapple with.
"I saw the real society. There are so many children and elderly who slip through the cracks, and they need assistance with finances and their socio-emotional needs. Seniors typically face problems such as extreme loneliness, with some of them on the brink of depression. Staying alone on their own limited their abilities to get out and participate in activities. With Singapore becoming a super-ageing society, more people need to step up to care for them."
Heeding the clarion call to help prepare for the country's impending silver tsunami, Nidhi steeled herself for a major life decision: to upgrade herself and further her studies, some 20-plus years after she graduated from university. "In part, I was also battling empty nest syndrome, what with my elder daughter moving out of the house. But I received the blessing of my younger daughter, who told me it was my time to do the things I wanted to do and chase my ambitions."
With a passion for community care, Nidhi at first signed up for a six-month certificate course that would mould her into a health coach. As her educational journey continued, her thirst for knowledge became unquenchable, and her resolve to do more for elderly folks in Singapore deepened. She went on to pursue a two-year diploma in health sciences and medicine, expanding her sphere of knowledge to include chronic disease management.
And so, after a career break that spanned 20 long years, Nidhi found herself back on the job hunt. Her search led her to SEEN @ Bukit Batok. The fact that the AAC is a part of Tzu Chi, which is based on humanistic Buddhism, did not dissuade her. She immediately took to the good vibes permeating the centre, along with the bright smiles worn by the residents. The decision to join the AAC as a staff member was easy.
Today, Nidhi is driven by a mission to inspire seniors in Singapore to get both physically and socially active. "When I was vacationing in Japan with my family, the 90-year-old seniors I encountered were physically fit, and they would go on hikes. What's more, they proactively took care of others. I thought, 'This is exactly what we need in Singapore.' We need to inculcate such a mindset in our seniors."
Residents of SEEN @ Bukit Batok say they are touched by Nidhi's caring nature. (Photo by Donn Tan)
There are seniors who, upon reaching retirement age, start to languish. "They think: 'That's it. I'm old. I'm done,'" said Nidhi. "But once they stop being active, it leads to problems such as dementia. They will then become dependent on their loved ones and put further stress on Singapore's already strained healthcare system."
What Nidhi and her team advocate for is self-sufficiency. "When the residents can take care of themselves, it frees us up to expand our reach and focus on welcoming new seniors to the fold." In fact, many of the seniors are already helping others through small acts of kindness. Madam Poh is one such example. Touched by the sincerity and actions of Tzu Chi volunteers, she began escorting her 80-year-old neighbour to SEEN @ Bukit Batok, even waking up at 6am just to buy her breakfast. She has even brought said neighbour to the free haircutting sessions organised by Tzu Chi.
It is this peer-support model that allows SEEN @ Bukit Batok to receive over 7,000 visitors every month, many of whom travel from other regions of Singapore just to attend the programmes. And instead of being daunted by the burgeoning visitorship, Nidhi is heartened, and she relishes the chance to touch the lives of even more seniors. "My parents are still based in India, so I don't get to see them often. Whenever I serve the residents, I feel as if I am serving my parents."
Share 
