We are oftentimes told that wisdom and street smarts come with age.

However, Caleb Chua did not let his age stop him from making a difference in the community when he founded the Homewarmers initiative in April this year alongside some friends he met at a youth leaders programme.

Speaking to AsiaOne on Saturday (Sept 6), the 18-year-old, who is pursuing a diploma in Human Resources, said that the ground-up initiative aims to provide seniors living alone with a sense of companionship and belonging through home visits and community events.

He continued: "We just want to make sure that there are no seniors left behind in this very busy world, you know?"

Chua said that in view of the large number of lonely deaths among seniors and social isolation among youths, he and his team believe connecting with the elderly through in-depth conversations would benefit both parties.

When asked if a particular instance stuck with him in his journey, Chua said that visiting an elderly woman surnamed Khoo was one such experience.

"The conversation just kept flowing and you know, time passes super fast when you're having fun.

"The smile on Madam Khoo's face, it just could not be wiped away when we were there... She shared with us that she wanted us to keep coming, keep engaging (with her)."

Chua added that after an hour-long conversation, the woman even brought the volunteers to visit her friend, another senior who was living alone.

This show of trust touched him deeply, Chua said.

He and his co-founders hope to garner funding to conduct a community event named Homewarmers Jiak Together, where seniors gather for a meal and participate in games and activities.

Chua said that any funds they garner will go straight into the programme, which is their way of giving back to their community and the seniors.

When asked what he would like to tell youths who wish to make a change in their community like he did, Chua said: "Don't be afraid to start what you believe you can start."

"I think nowadays, youth voices are very important...even if we [make] a little dent in the world, it's still a dent that impacts everybody," he said.

Youths are a generation with purpose: David Neo

Chua was among around 1,000 youths and stakeholders who attended the SG Youth Forum on Saturday held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

The event kicked off with a panel dialogue discussing how youths can play a part in leading conversations and driving change.

It also touched on how society can support youths to be active citizens and remain passionate about making a difference.

The SG Youth Forum is part of a series of engagements organised by the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) as well as the National Youth Council (NYC) to form the five-year SG Youth Plan, an SG60 initiative.

Across the engagements since November 2024, youths from all walks of life have shared their hopes for the future, how they wish to be supported to pursue these aspirations, and how they want to contribute to building our shared future. Over 200,000 responses from more than 50,000 youths and stakeholders were gathered.

Also at the event was Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, who shared that a key priority for his ministry is enabling youths to have the courage and confidence to pursue their diverse aspirations and to have the opportunities to shape our shared future.

He shared some of the key findings from the responses, one of which is that the youths are a generation with purpose and want to re-define what it means to be successful.

Close to 60 per cent of them wish for a Singapore that celebrates non-traditional success, encourages risk-taking and embraces failure, said Neo.

Addressing the youths in attendance, he added: "You challenge us to rethink what it means to be successful. You take the road less travelled, and you take ownership of your aspirations. You make time for learning opportunities and actively seek out new skills and knowledge."

"We will better support you to chart your own path, so you can take the road less travelled, and you can make bold decisions."

Beyond the dialogue, the SG Youth Forum also featured a marketplace showcasing youths in action, workshops centred on youth interests, and participatory budgeting for youth-led projects, where youths directly decided how much funding these projects would receive.

Beyond the SG Youth Forum, MCCY and NYC will continue to co-develop the SG Youth Plan with youths, they said.

The plan will build on existing initiatives for youths to pursue their aspirations and passion, such as the Youth Expedition Project, Young Change Makers and Mentoring SG movements.

"Collectively, these efforts and initiatives provide youths with the platforms, networks, and resources to develop life skills in their various pursuits and life transitions," said MCCY and NYC.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com