The foyer of the old people’s home in Żejtun buzzes with laughter and cheeky glances.
At the very back, Exel, 9, puts his tiny hand on his sister’s shoulder as he recounts the endless hours they spent with residents Vince and Monica Serpina, playing board games and speaking about the “good ol’ days”.
“Mr Serpina worked in World War II and won many battles,” the young boy says.
He describes the progress he noticed in Mr Serpina’s short-term memory. He “seemed to get better and better at board games, even though we kept increasing the difficulty level”.
Exel’s sister, four-year-old Althea, tugs at her brother’s shirt to let him know it was her turn to give her account of the free time she spent with Mr Serpina’s wife, 70-year-old Monica.
“Monica was a teacher many, many years ago . . . but she is still very good,” she says with eyes wide open.
Exel and Althea are two of seven children who last summer “adopted” an elderly person at the home and spent some free time every week with them to keep them company.
About 20 children from St Thomas More College in Żejtun had initially enrolled in the project but only seven made it through six months.The youngest is four – Althea – and the eldest, Janine, is 12.
The idea was the brainchild of deputy mayor Joan Agius who had launched a pilot project in 2007.
The bond between the elderly residents and their “adopters” is a strong one, with many of the seniors insisting they loved their young companions as if they were their own grandchildren.
Ms Serpina, “adopted” by Althea last May, says she feels rejuvenated whenever the little girl visits her.
Althea indignantly dismisses the age difference between her and the “adopted granny”.
“Ms Serpina is not very, very old. She is my friend. We play games together and we have learnt the alphabet together as well. I love her,” Althea adds, hugging her tightly.
The oldest “adopted grandpa” is 99-year-old Anthony Bilocca, a former Air Raid Precautions superintendent, and the eldest grandma is Francis Grima.
At 97, the jovial Ms Grima says this project helped her maintain an active lifestyle.
“When you spend a lot of time with the elderly – who moan and groan in pain all the time – you feel ancient... but when you spend some time with the young, you feel fresh and ready to go,” she winks.