SINGAPORE: A heartwarming display of compassion and solidarity has emerged in Singapore as a group of citizens has come together to support an elderly ice cream seller abandoned by his children. The touching story was brought to light by Robert Chua, the founder of Joy Luck Teahouse, who shared the plight of 93-year-old Ah Boon on social media, igniting a wave of support and kindness from the community.
Mr Chua’s heartfelt Facebook post described Mr Ah Boon as a “poor old man abandoned by his five children” who spends his days labouring under the sweltering sun, selling ice cream from 8 am until he can no longer continue in the afternoon. “Can you imagine being abandoned by your children and having nowhere to go but work daily like Ah Boon under the sun and heat?” Mr Chua asked, revealing that the elderly man has no choice but to work selling ice cream. Mr Chua added, “It is heartbreaking and sad to see one struggling without children’s love and looking lifeless without a reason to live. He has nothing in life to enjoy but perhaps his pack of cigarettes each day.”
Mr Ah Boon’s struggles are exacerbated by the fact that he often operates at a loss due to the cost of dry ice, which evaporates daily. Mr Chua’s visit to the elderly ice cream seller at 9:15 am revealed a man looking lost, gazing into the distance without any sense of purpose.
Calling on Singaporeans to support Mr Ah Boon, Mr Chua urged members of the public to contribute beyond the cost of the ice cream the elderly man sells to help him have a better life. He said, “Please do stop by if you are around his place at 10 Jln Besar Sim Lim Tower to try cheer him up and buy his ice cream at a generous donation price. Pay with generous $ note and let him keep the change. Be generous and donate what you might have treated your friends to a lunch or drinks in a restaurant.”
Mr Chua’s compassion extended beyond his Facebook post. He not only called on others to help the senior citizen but also collaborated with a team of volunteers who had already been supporting the elderly poor. Together, the Good Samaritans are working to help Mr Ah Boon move to a better location and find more volunteers to help him.