\nAt 90, Ratnam Periowsamy is the oldest volunteer with Care Corner Singapore\u2019s Project Neighbour Network.<\/p>\n
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The grandmother of six said she is well-known in the neighbourhood because she interacts with anyone, especially those who are alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they are sitting alone, I go and sit next to them and ask what is happening. They don\u2019t want to talk, the next time, I go back again. The third time, sure to talk already,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Growing up in a kampung<\/h2>\n
Ratnam\u2019s zest for helping others did not emerge recently, or after her husband died more than 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
Its roots go back to her childhood, when she grew up in a close-knit kampung around Tessensohn Road.<\/p>\n
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, in 1936, she was brought to Singapore by her parents when she was three months old.<\/p>\n
The eldest of four children, she spent most of her childhood and early adulthood mingling with neighbours of different races and backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never closed or locked our doors. I go into your house, you go into my house. We grew up in that kind of atmosphere,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n