63 and 87, Seven Years of Friendship Fighting Loneliness

When Hana Byambadash, 63, walks into the nursing home, 87-year-old Wanda Janus lights up with a smile that transforms her entire demeanor. They hug, dance, sing karaoke, and share Polish movies from opposite sides of the world.

Seven years ago, these two women were strangers facing a problem affecting one in six older Australians: social isolation. Today, their friendship shows how simple human connection can change lives.

Hana and Wanda met through a free program run by Umbrella Multicultural Community Care in Perth. The initiative pairs volunteers with isolated seniors for just one or two hours each week.

The connection was instant. Hana, originally from Mongolia, discovered she shared Wanda's love of Polish cinema. They even have the same favorite film, bridging continents through art and laughter.

"People like to be with me because I'm funny and I'm joking with them," Wanda says with a giggle. "I have a good time and then they come again."

For Hana, the relationship fills a void in her own life too. "My mum is a few years younger than Wanda. I miss my mum quite often, so to come and see Wanda I just feel like I'm seeing my mum," she explains.

Wanda lives with dementia, but music becomes medicine when Hana visits. "I've seen her very happy when she dances. She becomes a different person," Hana says.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine is how it challenges our assumptions about giving and receiving. Hana started volunteering to give back, but found the relationship enriched her life just as much.

"You will gain more than you give," she tells anyone considering volunteering. When she hugs Wanda, other seniors line up for embraces too, creating ripples of connection in a place where loneliness once dominated.

Chief executive Borhan Milani has watched simple acts transform lives across 183 current matches. "One or two hours playing a card game or having a cup of tea, that alone has completely changed their life," he says. "They have hope, they look forward to their next visit, and for the first time some of them are actually smiling."

The need keeps growing. Rising cost-of-living pressures mean families have less time and resources to care for elderly relatives. Umbrella now has a waiting list of isolated seniors hoping for a friend like Hana.

For some clients, the weekly gatherings and excursions Umbrella organizes are their only social connection. Research links this kind of isolation to poor mental health, cognitive decline, and even premature death.

But the solution is remarkably simple: one hour a week, one cup of tea, one dance in the park. Seven years later, Hana and Wanda prove that showing up for someone can create a friendship that transcends age, culture, and circumstance.