Of all acts of goodness, first and foremost is filial piety ~ Jing Si Aphorism by Master Cheng Yen

The weather was not very friendly that day, heavy rain kept on pouring a couple of times but it didn’t stop our Grade 11 students to take care and present a couple of performances to cheer the elderlies at the Panti Werdha Budi Mulia 2 (nursing home) in Cengkareng, West Jakarta on Tuesday, December 10, 2019.

About 100 students from 5 classes in Grade 11 were divided into two big groups, one group to clean up and sweep the yard around each ward, another group pick up some grandma and grandpas and brought them to gather at the Hall together. Some of the highlights from the activities in the hall were Maumere dance done by the oma and opa, which was lead by our students. The air was filled with laughter and excitement, it was clearly enjoyed by everyone.  

This was Valencia Astono’s second time visiting a nursing home but her first visit was when she was a lot younger, that she can’t remember most of it. Valencia was seen being very friendly to the grandma who sat next to her, she asked the oma to dance and sing, and continuously talk with her like it was her own grandmother. 

“I was so happy, I thought most of them will be quiet or even feeling weak. But most of them whom I met at the hall are still very cheerful and energetic!” said Valencia Astono, 11 Respect student. 

At the time of visit, there were 337 elderlies in Panti Werdha Budi Mulia 2 across 5 wards, in which two of them are dedicated to elderlies who suffer from physical illness or mental health condition. Seeing a few elderlies being sick together when some even glued to their bed, is not a sight you see in an everyday life. 

“I was so sad when I saw how painful it looks, and sorry to say the facility is not necessarily adequate to care for them,” Valencia said. However, in life, when it rains, we have to look at the rainbow. “But despite the condition of the facilities here, at the very least, they’re not alone on the street,” she added. 

Valencia’s friend, Michelle Tantry also felt the same way when she visited the nursing home. “It was heartbreaking when I hear from some of these grandmas at how they felt abandoned by their children. One of the oma told me, her child prefers his job rather than to take care of her,” she said. 

This kind of experience clearly opened up the children’s minds to take care of their own parents better. Valencia had a change of mindset after this visit, “really it’s not hard to make our parents happy. I kept on thinking I have to make a lot of money and buy them luxury cars, when actually, spending time and share our moments with them will be a lot better than any physical gifts.”

A one day visit might be short, but this visit left such an unforgettable impression in our students’ minds. Denzel Irawan, from 11 Love in his closing speech said, “We choose our own happiness.” He was referring to by seeing the happiness that were shining through the oma and opa’s faces, “No matter how young or how old you are, and no matter where or how you live, I can see these elderlies here choose to live their life happily,” he explained. 

The day ended with a beautiful serenade of ‘Kita Satu Keluarga’ song. Oma and opa sang their hearts out together with our students, teachers, and the rest of the room.