Ser Yin, 74, was a seamstress for 30 years. “A lot of people used to come and get me to sew clothes,” she shared. Once, she sewed the trousers of Army uniforms which the Army subbed out. They would provide a template and she would sew accordingly. Each sewn piece would put about S$1 plus into her pocket.

When her children grew up, they persuaded her to stop working and she went on to help her brother who had opened a supermarket. Her husband, who has since passed on, was a taxi driver at the time, and did it for over 40 years. The mother of three and grandmother of six said she worked for eight years at the supermarket before calling it quits.

These days, she concentrates on doing briskwalking and using some of the outdoor fitness equipment in her neighbourhood. Six years ago, she had a heart problem and vigourous exercising is now out of the question. She is also very careful with what she eats, and avoids deep-fried and spicy foods.

Ser Yin believes wholeheartedly in volunteering and goes once a week to a temple to volunteer. She helps to arrange chairs and distributes chanting books – just some things she continues to do for them, and has been doing for the past 18 years.