Helping elderly lead active lives an issue close to her heart
Ms Joan Pereira
SINGAPORE — A strong sense of empathy for others has always been the guiding principle for Ms Joan Pereira, be it in her career or personal life.
Already familiar with community work, first as a director at the People’s Association (PA) and now as an assistant general manager at philanthropic foundation Temasek Cares, Ms Pereira is seeking to serve the public in a different capacity: To be elected as a Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, and advocate for the elderly.
“I left the public service because of a higher calling. I love interacting with people — they’re always at the centre of what I do — so this is a different platform where I can serve them,” the 48-year-old explained.
Ms Pereira has been seen shadowing Senior Minister of State (Law and Education) Indranee Rajah in recent walkabouts, but she is no stranger to walking the ground, having had nearly 25 years of grassroots experience.
She began her career implementing community programmes at Queenstown Community Centre in 1990, and eventually became director of the family life and active ageing unit at the PA. She joined Temasek Cares, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings, as an assistant general manager this year.
Helping the elderly lead active and social lives is an issue close to her heart. In May, she partnered with an organisation to conduct a dental screening programme at Henderson Community Club, and worked with volunteers from schools to befriend the elderly and take them to dental check-ups.
Her ability to speak Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as a smattering of other dialects such as Hokkien and Teochew, is an asset when communicating with seniors.
“When you speak the language, immediately, there’s that kind of connection. They warm up to you,” the mother of two said.
Ms Pereira hopes to create a caring culture where elderly residents meet on a regular basis, be it for qigong workouts or chit-chat sessions. To her, these act as an “informal roll call”, where people can look out for one another and avoid falling into depression.
“It’s important to work together and become an inclusive and caring community ... This is the vision I hope to achieve,” she said. TOH EE MING
