Singaporean of the Year finalist: At 90, she still knocks on doors to draw out lonely elderly

SINGAPORE – In the evening, after families have finished their dinner and are winding down for the day, 90-year-old Ratnam Periowsamy picks up her walking stick and heads out of her home.

The widow and mother of five walks around blocks of flats in her Toa Payoh neighbourhood looking for the elderly who are home alone and need companionship.

Some are receptive and engage her in conversation. Others do not welcome her. But she never takes things to heart.

“They have moods. You want to work with elders? You have to lower yourself to them and listen,” she said, adding that she always returns even when turned away.

She once stood outside an elderly man’s flat for an hour as he vented his frustrations about life to her. The next day, he was in a better mood and eventually agreed to join the community activities she had recommended.

Ratnam is the oldest volunteer with Care Corner Singapore’s Project Neighbour Network, which trains seniors to befriend and support their vulnerable elderly neighbours.

As a “ranger” in the initiative, she pairs up with another volunteer to knock on doors, inviting neighbours to join activities run by Care Corner’s Active Ageing Centre in Toa Payoh East.

The grandmother of six said she is well-known in the neighbourhood because she interacts with anyone, especially those who are alone.

“If they are sitting alone, I go and sit next to them and ask what is happening. They don’t want to talk, the next time, I go back again. The third time, sure to talk already,” she said.

Growing up in a kampung

Ratnam’s zest for helping others did not emerge recently, or after her husband died more than 20 years ago.

Its roots go back to her childhood, when she grew up in a close-knit kampung around Tessensohn Road.

Born in Tamil Nadu, India, in 1936, she was brought to Singapore by her parents when she was three months old.

The eldest of four children, she spent most of her childhood and early adulthood mingling with neighbours of different races and backgrounds.

“We never closed or locked our doors. I go into your house, you go into my house. We grew up in that kind of atmosphere,” she said.

Ratnam believes many in the older generation today feel lonely because they “live in concrete cages” and miss the kampung lifestyle, when friends and lively conversations were just a short walk away.

She added that many elderly people also feel disconnected from their families, especially when loved ones are preoccupied with their phones or other commitments.

“So, many will tell me that no one even asks whether they have eaten or how they are feeling,” she said.

Her concern for others grew out of the voluntary activities in which she was involved as a child.

While studying at St Margaret’s Primary School, she accompanied the principal on numerous missionary stints to help and teach children abandoned or neglected by their parents.

After moving on to St Hilda’s School, she began volunteering independently. This included giving tuition to children residing in The Salvation Army, and taking care of animals at what was then known as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“In my younger days, I didn’t take volunteering as a serious thing. I did it for fun because I enjoyed spending time with the children and animals,” said Ratnam.

She got married in 1955 at the age of 18, and had five children. When they were older and busy with school, the homemaker continued to find ways to contribute to others.

She taught neighbourhood children mathematics and English, took a childcare course when she was in her 50s and went on to teach at a childcare centre for about 10 years.

She also gave free tuition to underprivileged children at a community centre and the Residents’ Network. This came to an end during the Covid-19 pandemic when lessons shifted online.

Ratnam is a finalist for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award, which is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society.

This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.

The Singaporean of the Year Award is organised by The Straits Times, and presented by UBS Singapore.

The main Singaporean of the Year award was launched in 2015, while the International Impact Award and Young Singaporean of the Year Award was introduced in 2025.

Inspiring others in their golden years

After joining Care Corner in 2021, Ratnam collected salvageable vegetables and bread for people who needed them, often heading out at night to collect about 20 packets of bread from a bakery to distribute to others.

Today, she mentors others in the Project Neighbour Network on how and when to approach the elderly in their homes.

Mustazah Abdul Hamid, 68, met Ratnam when he joined Care Corner in 2023 after retiring as an expatriate consultant.

“I learnt a lot from her. Most volunteers are very good, but they do not have the knowledge she has,” he said.

As volunteers are not allowed to enter the homes of elderly, he had to learn how to observe their living conditions from the outside, and how to show genuine care.

Seeing how Ratnam goes beyond simply knocking on doors, Mustazah has been inspired to do more himself.

“I was surprised that at this age, she does a lot,” he said.

“She does things with all her heart. She doesn’t care what race you are, how old you are. She just wants to find out how to help others.”

Besides befriending residents, Ratnam helps organise games like Rummy-O and other activities at void decks, bringing opportunities for social interaction closer to seniors who may be reluctant to travel to the Active Ageing Centre.

She hopes to revive the kampung spirit in her neighbourhood so that the lonely elderly can experience companionship like they did in their younger days.

When she is not volunteering, she fills her days with cooking and physical activities like seated zumba, seated piloxing (combining pilates, boxing and dance), line dancing and qigong.

After a fall in November 2023 that left her with a fractured hip, she uses a walking stick to get around. Though the injury has made her more cautious, it has not stopped her from going out.

On why she does not intend to slow down in her golden years, Ratnam said that as long as she is in good health, she wants to live a meaningful life.

“Until the day I go off, I want to walk around and help others,” she said. “I am for them, and they are for me.”

Singaporean of the Year Award

The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year (SOTY) is an award that is given to a Singaporean or group of citizens who have made a significant contribution to society. This can be through achievements that put Singapore on the world stage, or by going beyond the call of duty to selflessly improve the lives of others in the community, among other ways.

Organised by The Straits Times and presented by UBS Singapore, the annual award is in its 12th year. The official airline partner is Singapore Airlines and the global hotel partner is Millennium Hotels and Resorts.

How to nominate:

• Go to str.sg/soty2026nominate or scan the QR code below and submit your nomination by Dec 10, 2026 

• For more info on SOTY, go to straitstimes.com/site-soty-2026

Prizes for award recipient and finalists

The award recipient will receive:

• $20,000 in cash

• One pair of Singapore Airlines business class tickets for each individual/group, up to three pairs of tickets for the winning group

• A five-night stay in any of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for the winning group

Finalists will receive:

• $5,000 cash for each individual/group

• One pair of Singapore Airlines economy class tickets for each individual/group, up to a maximum of three pairs for each group of finalists

• A three-night stay in one of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for each finalist

International Impact Award

The award seeks to honour Singaporeans who have made a positive impact beyond Singapore’s borders, contributing to the country’s global reputation.

They must have delivered a project, initiative or body of work that benefited a community or country outside Singapore.

The award recipient will receive:

• $20,000 in cash

Young Singaporean of the Year Award

The award seeks to recognise a Singaporean under 18 who has shown courage, compassion, empathy, kindness or a spirit of service, and has made a positive impact among peers.

The award recipient will receive:

• $5,000 in cash

• A pair of Singapore Airlines economy class tickets

• A three-night stay in one of Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ properties globally, up to a maximum of three sets of accommodation for each finalist.