The Silver Smiles Initiative is a student-led project launched by a small team of students from Island School and German Swiss International School. Their mission is to address loneliness among elderly residents in Hong Kong through regular visits and community-based activities. Over the past few months, they have been developing a larger project and have been fortunate to secure partnerships with Citybus Hong Kong, Silvermorph Charity, and Eldpathy.
On Sunday, January 18, the students organised an event called "Miles for Smiles," which is a tailored Citybus tour designed to bring elderly residents out of senior care homes and back into the city for fresh air, familiar sights, and meaningful connections.
Tristan Yeng (12F), one of the students involved in the project, said, "Planning Miles for Smiles was both challenging and deeply rewarding. Coordinating with multiple partners, ensuring accessibility, and managing logistics required a lot of effort from our team. But seeing it all come together on the day made it worth it. One moment that stood out was witnessing the elderly residents enjoy the fresh air, nature, and warm conversations during our walk around the conservatory. What made it even more meaningful was hearing from some residents who mentioned that they rarely get the chance to visit parks or enjoy nature. This made us even more grateful that our planned trip allowed them to fully experience these joys."
The event was captured by Citybus in their LinkedIn post, which you can read HERE.
Please follow their Instagram page for photos and highlights from the event.
For more information about the Silver Smiles Initiative, upcoming events, and opportunities for students to get involved, visit their website: Silver Smiles Initiative.