1. Summary of project goals with two sentences. 

“Stronger Intergen” aims to reduce loneliness among older adults and promote empathy among university students through structured sessions at the care centres, where students and older adults participate in fun, interactive activities and sharing stories across generations together. “Stronger Intergen” encourages meaningful intergenerational connections, challenges stereotypes about ageing and dementia, and reminds young people of the importance of spending time with their own parents and grandparents.

2. Did other fund-raising efforts contribute to your projects? What were they? 

“Stronger Intergen” was mainly supported by grant funding from the Malaysian Social Entrepreneurs Foundation (MSEF) for RM3,000 and crowd funding of RM1,935 through official My Starfish Foundation website from the public.

3. Provide details about how your project actually worked.

Project preparation and planning

Stronger Intergen was carried out with the support of My Starfish Foundation, Malaysian Social Entrepreneurs Foundation (MSEF) and the Faculty of Nursing, Universiti Malaya (UM). Before starting the actual programme, we first recruit the volunteers through social media and contacted Legend Care Centre, a residential care centre near UM, to explore opportunities for collaboration. We subsequently visited the centre to understand its daily routines, existing activities and residents’ needs.

During the visit, we observed that the centre’s manager regularly organised small games to encourage the older adults to move and stay active. However, the activities could become repetitive, and there appeared to be opportunities to introduce more variety, interaction and excitement into their daily routines. The team also recognised the importance of providing companionship and creating opportunities for meaningful interaction between the older adults and younger generations. The elderly there also mentioned they were very excited to have outsiders to visit them.

Based on these observations, our six-member committee planned activities through online discussions and physical meetings. We purchased materials through online and physical stores, compared prices to keep costs low, and prepared some materials ourselves. The activities were designed to encourage movement, coordination, cognitive engagement, teamwork and social interaction while remaining adaptable to the older adults’ physical and cognitive abilities.

Volunteer recruitment and preparation

Across the four sessions, the project involved 30 university student volunteers, with approximately six to eight volunteers participating in each visit. A different group of volunteers attended each session, and they came from different faculties, with many studying fields unrelated to healthcare. This allowed students from diverse academic backgrounds to participate in meaningful community engagement.

Before each visit, volunteers completed a pre-programme survey through Google Forms. The survey assessed their previous experience interacting with older adults, perceptions of ageing, understanding of the challenges older adults face, comfort when communicating with older adults experiencing memory or communication difficulties, and beliefs about the benefits of intergenerational interaction.

To prepare them for the experience, we created and shared a YouTube link containing five videos introducing dementia-related behaviours and appropriate ways to approach and interact with older adults, reviewed and supervised by our supervisors who had years of experience about dementia and elderly care. A few days before each session, the director also conducted an online briefing to explain the programme flow, volunteer responsibilities, situations to observe and behaviours to avoid. Upon arrival at the centre, volunteers received a final briefing and changed into designated clothing to help the older adults recognise and distinguish them more easily.

Implementation of the four sessions

Each visit lasted approximately four hours and involved the same group of 12 older adults living with dementia. The sessions followed a general structure of ice-breaking, warm-up, group games, personal interaction (heartwarming session), lunch, prize-giving and post-session reflection. The activities and programme flow were adjusted over the four visits according to feedback and observations.

Session 1 — 15 August 2026

The first session introduced two activities: Can You Catch the Ball Nicely? and Can You Catch the Colour Flies?

In Can You Catch the Ball Nicely?, the older adults threw lightweight balls towards a large purple box held by volunteers. The activity encouraged upper-limb movement, coordination and reaction time. The distance, ball size and positioning could be adjusted according to participants’ abilities.

In Can You Catch the Colour Flies?, participants used coloured paddles and raised the paddle matching the colour called out by the facilitator. The activity encouraged colour recognition, attention, cognitive processing and reaction time. The difficulty could be adjusted by changing the colours, rules or speed of the instructions.

During both games, volunteers explained and demonstrated the instructions, encouraged participation and assisted when necessary. The committee observed how the older adults responded and whether the activities were appropriate for their abilities.

For feedback, especially the elderly, they mentioned the first game was too repetitive and needed more games. They also very happy to have the volunteers come and interact with them.

Session 2 — 22 August 2026

The second session introduced Can You Survive the Ping Pong Panic? and Can You Catch the Bottles Quickly?

In Can You Survive the Ping Pong Panic?, participants held strings attached to a box with a small opening. They worked together to tilt the box and guide ping-pong balls through the opening into a collection box. This activity encouraged hand-eye coordination, concentration, upper-limb movement and teamwork. 

In Can You Catch the Bottles Quickly?, participants sat facing a volunteer or another participant, with a lightweight plastic bottle placed between them. While music played, the facilitator read a story containing a target keyword. Participants had to reach for the bottle when they heard the keyword. The activity encouraged attention, auditory processing, reaction time and social interaction.

Volunteers continued to guide the participants and adapt the activities when needed. The committee also observed whether the games were sufficiently engaging and whether additional adjustments were necessary.

For this session, the elderly reported they had great fun in the games, and found the games were very challenging and trained their focus. Even though it took them some time to finish, they were excited to have more games. 

Session 3 — 29 August 2026

The third session included Pass the Funny Balloon, Flip the Grill and Cup Stacking Challenge.

In Pass the Funny Balloon, participants sat in a circle and passed random selected objects around while music played. When the music stopped, the participant holding the balloon selected a light-hearted challenge with his paired partner. The activity encouraged social interaction, movement and rapport between participants and volunteers. Challenges were intended to remain comfortable and appropriate, with participants able to decline if they did not wish to take part.

In Flip the Grill, participants used chopsticks to flip printed pictures of pans and eggs. This activity encouraged fine motor control, hand-eye coordination and concentration.

In Cup Stacking Challenge, participants used chopsticks to arrange alphabet-labelled paper cups in the correct order. The activity encouraged precision, sequencing, concentration and teamwork.

Throughout the session, volunteers encouraged the older adults to participate at their own pace and provided assistance when required.

In this session, for the first game, we did not expect that some of the elderly had difficulty in passing the items. We allow the workers and committees to support these elderly in passing and encourage them. For the second game, they were very excited in competing with each other using the chopstick to flip the pans and eggs. They even kept on playing despite the game ended. For the third game, we allowed those who cannot move their hands well to just use their own hands instead of chopsticks which were hard for them.

Session 4 — 5 September 2026

The fourth session included Chicken Dance, a teamwork-based cup-stacking activity, Paper Cup Grab Race and Synchronised Strokes.

In Chicken Dance, participants followed a sequence of four movements to music. The movements could be performed while seated or standing, depending on individual ability. The activity encouraged movement, memory, coordination and social engagement.

In the teamwork-based cup-stacking activity, participants controlled a rubber band attached to strings to pick up paper cups labelled A to J and arrange them in sequence. The activity encouraged teamwork, coordination, attention and problem-solving.

In Paper Cup Grab Race, participants squeezed a plastic bottle connected to a balloon to inflate the balloon inside a paper cup. They then used the balloon to grip and lift the cups for stacking. The activity encouraged hand control, coordination and engagement with a practical task.

In Synchronised Strokes, two participants jointly controlled a drawing tool to draw a house together. This activity encouraged creativity, fine motor coordination, communication and cooperation.

The fourth session went very smoothly after a few prior sessions and experience. For the first game, they were very happy in dancing together with the music. For the second game, they were very fast in finishing it, and for the third game, they were very excited in trying the game, and even the ones who could not move their hands well, were trying their best to make it with the assistance of the volunteers. There were even elderly who asked if they could get one set of the bottle and balloon to play with in the future! For the fourth and last game, each pair of elderly with volunteers had a great time drawing their own houses and taking pictures together. The elderly were very engaging and during the heartwarming session, they were the ones who were very proactive in approaching their own paired volunteers and chatted with them. 

Personal interaction and companionship

At the beginning of the programme, each volunteer was paired with an older adult during the ice-breaking activity. During group games, volunteers and older adults were organised into groups according to the activity and the situation, with arrangements adjusted when necessary.

Beyond the games, the team wanted to ensure that the visits were not simply recreational sessions. Volunteers were encouraged to spend time talking with their paired older adults, listening to their stories and choosing activities that suited their interests and abilities. These interactions could include conversations, sharing personal stories, drawing or doing tai chi together.

Following feedback from the older adults, including Madam Jaya’s comment that some activities felt repetitive and that she wanted greater variety and challenge, the committee reviewed the programme structure. One important improvement was to allocate approximately one hour for more dedicated interaction between volunteers and their paired older adults before lunch. This gave volunteers more time to listen, communicate and build rapport instead of focusing mainly on completing games.

Lunch and prize-giving were also included to provide opportunities for participants to enjoy the session together and recognise their involvement.

Feedback, evaluation and continuous improvement

The team gathered feedback from several sources throughout the project. Volunteers completed post-session surveys and reflective essays, while selected volunteers and older adults were interviewed. The committee also collected feedback through conversations and phone calls with the care centre manager, as well as feedback communicated by older adults to their paired volunteers.

To evaluate the experience, the committee compared volunteers’ pre- and post-programme survey responses on their perceptions of older adults, understanding of ageing-related challenges, comfort interacting with older adults experiencing memory or communication difficulties, and beliefs about the benefits of intergenerational activities.

For the older adults, the team asked how they felt before the warm-up and after activities or sessions. During interviews, the committee asked questions such as whether they would like the volunteers to visit again, which activity they enjoyed most and whether they enjoyed interacting with the volunteers. The team also observed participants’ responses, engagement and spontaneous social interactions during different activities.

After each visit, the committee conducted a post-session review to discuss what went well, identify difficulties and plan improvements for the next session. This process enabled the team to make changes based on actual feedback rather than relying only on the original activity plan.

4. Were there unanticipated difficulties? Budget constraints?

One of our main challenges was recognising that our initial assumptions about older adults did not always reflect their actual abilities or preferences. We initially planned relatively simple activities because we assumed that older adults would have limited physical strength, memory, and mobility. However, we discovered that each individual had different capabilities, and some participants wanted activities that were more challenging and less repetitive. We had to review our plans, seek feedback, and redesign the sessions accordingly.

In addition, budget constraints also required creativity and careful planning. We had to ensure that the activities remained engaging without exceeding our available funds. Our team made use of affordable materials and explored ways to modify existing games rather than constantly purchasing new equipment, so that the money could be allocated for other aspects.

Furthermore, recruiting and managing volunteers was another unexpected difficulty. Some volunteers were shy or nervous about approaching older adults, particularly those living with dementia. During one session, when we asked the volunteers to pair with the elderly during the ice-breaking session, despite the volunteers were pre-exposed with the behaviours of the elderly and that they needed to be proactive, they felt too shy to step up and approach the elderly. The elderly waited for volunteers to approach them, but the volunteers hesitated despite receiving prior briefings. This left one of the elderly frustrated. We had to encourage the volunteers to take initiative, communicate more confidently, and recognise that their presence alone was not enough; meaningful engagement required active participation. We had to repeatedly say that it was okay to make mistakes, and should not think that the elderly are all mean and strict. They all just need participation and engagement, and somebody to talk with.

Team management and scheduling also presented challenges. Changes in committee availability and competing commitments made some sessions more difficult to coordinate. In addition, certain activities took longer than expected, requiring us to adjust our programme schedule on the spot.

      5. Language or cultural barriers?

While language or cultural differences existed, volunteers found that the main communication barriers were actually the elderly’s physical and cognitive barriers. First, some of the elderly have trouble hearing clearly. This requires volunteers and committees to adjust their tone, speak louder, and slow down their pace, while not making a tone that sounds harsh or like scolding. In addition, some of the elderly have cognitive and memory barriers. This needs us to repeat questions and tell the instructions clearly and simply, and give extra patience and reassurance.

     6. What worked well? What didn’t work well?

One of the most successful aspects of Stronger Intergen was everyone very willing to be critical in giving constructive feedback for us to improve. When the elderly and the volunteers indicated that some games were repetitive, or not attractive, or not engaging, or too focus on volunteers, we reconsidered our approach and introduced greater variety, teamwork, music, dance, and conversation. In the end, both the elderly and the volunteers showed greater enthusiasm for participating.

“Stronger Intergen” also created meaningful learning opportunities for volunteers and for us as committees. Some who initially felt shy or uncertain, including us, became more confident in approaching, leading and interacting with older adults. Their reflective essays and post-survey indeed showed changes in how they changed their perception towards ageing and dementia, demonstrating the value of learning through direct community engagement.

However, our initial planning had limitations. We underestimated the abilities and interests of the elderly, replying too much on our own assumptions when designing activities. Some volunteer briefings also did not translate into confident action during actual sessions. Scheduling and coordination difficulties occasionally disrupted the programme flow.

These challenges taught us that successful community work requires more than good intentions. It requires listening, preparation, teamwork, flexibility, and a willingness to learn from the people we serve.

     7. How many people benefited or will benefit from your project? Who are these people?

Our primary beneficiaries are the university students and the elderly. During the past 4 pilot sessions, “Stronger Intergen” involved 12 older adults living with dementia at Legend Care Centre and 30 student volunteers across four sessions. For the elderly, they can get social interaction, companionship, and enjoyable engagement. For the student volunteers, they are benefited by developing empathy, communication skills, patience, and a more informed understanding of ageing and dementia.

The project’s reach extended beyond the direct participants. For our committees, we gained real-life experience in leadership, logistics, budgeting, teamwork, and problem-solving. Through our multimedia materials and awareness efforts, we also hope to reach a wider community of young people and families, encouraging them to reconsider their attitudes towards older adults and the importance of intergenerational relationships. 

In the future, we believe that “Stronger Intergen” will further expand to reach more care centres, volunteers, elderly, and NGOs.

    8. What is the long-term impact and sustainability of this project? Is there a future for your project?

Our long-term goal is to establish “Stronger Intergen” as a sustainable volunteer project under Universiti Malaya’s volunteerism subject in Centre of Integral Learning (CITRA) UM, allowing future cohorts of students to continue engaging with older adults. We will collaborate with Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (AGECOPE) for further reaching more care centres in Malaysia to accommodate more volunteers and reach more elderly. We will also allow volunteers from other universities to join, strengthen volunteer training, diversify activities based on participant feedback, and develop more partnerships with care centres, nursing homes, and community organisations.

To support sustainability, we aim to improve our activity planning, develop more effective volunteer briefings, course content for pre-development of knowledge about the elderly, and establish a consistent system for gathering feedback and evaluating outcomes. Future assessments could examine changes in volunteers’ attitudes towards ageing and dementia, their confidence in communicating with older adults, and participants’ experiences of social engagement.

We understand that we cannot eliminate loneliness or replace the relationships that older adults miss. Nevertheless, we believe that by having “Stronger Intergen”, we can encourage more young people to carry these lessons into their own families and communities. We hoe to create lasting change to more young people beyond the duration of this project.

a) How does or will your project contribute to happiness? Short-term? Long-term?

Stronger Intergen contributes to happiness by creating opportunities for meaningful intergenerational connection and sharing stories across generations. For the older adults, the sessions provide opportunities to participate in enjoyable activities, communicate with younger people, share their preferences, and feel included rather than overlooked. Although we cannot assume that every session eliminates loneliness, we hope that these interactions offer moments of companionship, enjoyment, and recognition.

For student volunteers, happiness comes from discovering that seemingly small actions can make a meaningful difference in another person’s day. A conversation, a shared laugh, or the effort to adapt an activity to someone’s needs can turn an ordinary visit into a memorable experience. These interactions also allow students to develop relationships outside their usual social circles and appreciate perspectives shaped by different life experiences. Through intergenerational interactions, students can also reduce or eliminate the ageism and think back of their own families.

In the short term, the project aims to create enjoyable sessions, encourage participation, and provide opportunities for genuine connection. For volunteers, it also offers a sense of purpose through community service and the experience of contributing to something beyond their academic responsibilities.

In the long term, we believe “Stronger Intergen” will help cultivate a more compassionate and inclusive society. By challenging stereotypes about ageing and dementia, the project encourages young people to recognise older adults as individuals with their own abilities, preferences, emotions, and stories. We also believe the experience prompts students to reflect on their relationships with their own parents and grandparents, making them more intentional about spending time with their families.

Ultimately, happiness is not always created through grand achievements or material rewards. Sometimes, it comes from knowing that someone has listened to us, included us, or simply chosen to spend time with us. Through “Stronger Intergen”, we hope to remind people that meaningful connection is an essential part of a fulfilling life.

b) Has your project changed the way you think about the world? How has it changed you?

Before leading Stronger Intergen, I realised that I held certain assumptions about older adults. I tended to believe that they were generally less physically capable, had weaker memories, and would prefer simpler activities. So, my committee and I initially designed repetitive games that we thought would be suitable for them. However, our experience taught me that age alone does not define a person’s abilities or preferences. Some participants were physically and mentally capable of taking on more challenging activities, while others required different forms of support. Every individual was different, and I could not understand their needs simply by making assumptions.

One of my most important lessons came from listening to the older adults themselves. When we discovered that some activities were becoming repetitive, we sought feedback rather than continuing with our original plan. Their suggestions encouraged us to introduce more variety, teamwork, music, dance, and conversation. I learned that although planning is important, a successful community project must remain flexible and responsive to the people it serves. We should not decide what others need without first giving them the opportunity to express themselves.

Leading the project also challenged me as a person. Managing volunteers was not always easy, particularly when some were too shy to approach the older adults, plus I am a shy person too. I initially thought that briefing volunteers and explaining their responsibilities would be sufficient. However, I learned that understanding what to do and having the confidence to do it are two different things. I had to encourage them to take initiative, create a more welcoming atmosphere, and help them become more comfortable interacting with the participants. Seeing volunteers gradually change their attitudes and express their learning through reflective essays was one of the most rewarding moments of the project.

Beyond leadership, “Stronger Intergen” changed how I understand care. As a nursing student, I often associate care with clinical knowledge, treatment, and physical health. This project reminded me that caring for someone also means recognising their emotional and social needs. An older adult may need assistance with daily activities, but they also deserve opportunities to make choices, express themselves, build relationships, and feel valued. Their diagnosis does not define their entire identity.

The words of the 93-year-old grandmother I met during a dementia screening programme continue to stay with me: “I miss my grandchild.” Her words made me think about the people behind the conditions we study and the families behind the patients we care for. They also reminded me that while we pursue our education and future ambitions, the people who raised us are growing older too. We may believe that we will spend more time with them when we become less busy, but that time is never guaranteed.

Through “Stronger Intergen”, I learned that meaningful change begins when we stop assuming and start listening. Sometimes what the elderly need is not medicine, but just “I’m here for you”. I hope to carry this lesson into my future nursing practice, community involvement, and personal relationships. More importantly, I hope to become someone who does not merely recognise the needs of others, but takes the initiative to respond to them with empathy, respect, and action.

c) Complete this section with a one to two sentence personal statement, suitable for use as a quotation, addressing how and why this project was valuable and what was the most important thing you learned as a result. (Indicate student’s name for quote attribution.)

“Stronger Intergen was an invaluable experience away from screens and code that allowed me to directly understand the physical and cognitive struggles of the elderly. The most important lesson I learned was to reject the misconception that seniors are unproductive, realizing it is our duty to give back to those who spent their youth building society.”       

— Choong Zhuo Lin (Volunteer, Bachelor of Computer Science in AI, Universiti Malaya)