NGOs have researched that as a growing number of elderly individuals find themselves abandoned and kicked out onto the streets by their own children, years or even decades of suffering begins. Many aging parents in India endure the heartbreaking betrayal of abandonment by their families. The reasons for abandonment range from economic motives to a lack of willingness to care for elderly parents struggling with illnesses in their last years.
In response to this dire situation, NGOs are stepping in to save these old people from their suffering. These NGOs provide safe shelter, nutritious meals, counseling, skills training, companionship and more for elderly homeless people. These organizations are driven by compassion and a commitment to human dignity to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned seniors and offer them a chance at a dignified existence in their later years. Through these efforts, NGOs aim to mitigate the suffering of the elderly, restoring a sense of security and humanity to those who have been forsaken by their own families.
Here are 5 NGOs caring for old people in desperate need:
Atchayam Trust
Atchayam Trust is an NGO that has a vision to create a “beggar-free” India. In a society where homelessness is often misunderstood and stigmatized, P. Naveenkumar’s NGO has been working since 2014 to rescue, shelter, counsel and rehabilitate over 12,000 elderly beggars. The heartbreaking reality is that many of these elderly individuals end up on the streets not by choice, but due to being kicked out of their homes by their own families. Atchayam Trust intervenes in these dire situations, providing not only shelter but also medical attention, 3 nutritious meals a day, counseling and vocational skills training to rebuild shattered lives.
Atchayam Trust’s fundraiser aims to shelter 80 elderly individuals and ensure that they receive the care and support needed for rehabilitation. P. Naveenkumar’s commitment to this cause is inspired by a deep empathy for the suffering of homeless people he witnessed on the streets and this underscores the NGO’s mission that no human soul should be left alone in misery due to a lack of resources. Your contribution can help P. Naveenkumar continue his mission, providing shelter, food, medical care, and comfort to those who have been abandoned and forgotten by their own families. To support Atchayam Trust, you can donate here.
Sarthak Prayas
Sarthak Prayas is an NGO that serves as a guardian for abandoned elderly parents who have endured the heart-wrenching betrayal of being cast out onto the streets by their own children. Harsh Arora is the founder of this NGO and is committed to caring for abandoned elders. Under Harsh’s leadership, Sarthak Prayas attends to every aspect of the seniors’ needs from medical care to nutrition and safe shelter. Harsh recounts witnessing senior citizens scavenging for food in the garbage and rescuing individuals without a shred of clothing. For these seniors, Sarthak Prayas has established Second Innings Home which offers shelter to 20+ elderly parents rescued from the harsh realities of street life.
Donations to the ongoing fundraiser are crucial for Sarthak Prayas to continue its mission, extending support to even more elderly individuals in need. The NGO not only provides shelter but also ensures end-to-end medical care, monthly rations, and medicines for those abandoned parents who have no one else to turn to. Your charitable donation can be the catalyst that transforms the lives of numerous homeless seniors, providing them with the care, dignity and support they deserve. Join Sarthak Prayas’s mission now and make a difference in the lives of those who have been left behind and forgotten. To support Sarthak Prayas, you can donate here.
Mitti Cafe
Mitti Cafe is an NGO that combats hunger and malnutrition among thousands of abandoned elderly parents in villages and slums across India. The dedicated team at Mitti Cafe are mostly individuals with disabilities who have undertaken the responsibility of providing cooked meals and dry rations to 5,000+ elderly individuals in urgent need. Ayesha Alam is the founder of Mitti Cafe and she shares the horrible reality faced by senior citizens where many go without proper meals for days, resorting to picking food from garbage due to extreme hunger. The Karuna Meals initiative has served 10+ lakh meals and distributed 1 lakh dry rations packets to alleviate hunger among the elderly.
At ₹ 30 per meal, the NGO has served 51,911 nutritious Karuna meals to abandoned elderly on the streets, but their mission is far from complete. Ayesha urges collective action and shares that with support, the NGO can reach even more malnourished and hungry old people and can help put an end to starvation. The Karuna Meals team is staffed by persons with disabilities and exemplifies resilience and empathy as they overlook their own struggles to ensure that abandoned elderly do not suffer from hunger. Mitti Cafe invites you to join the mission to fight hunger and starvation and reach out to more grandparents in need. To support Mitti Cafe, you can donate here.
Nanritam
Nanritam is an NGO that serves visually-impaired elderly and marginalized people in remote areas of West Bengal with diagnosis, treatment, surgeries and aftercare. Since 2022, Nanritam has provided crucial eye care services to 1 crore underprivileged patients through medical camps and organizing medical treatment and surgeries at hospitals. Nanritam aims to conduct 15,000 to 20,000 eye surgeries and give the gift of sight to elderly individuals struggling with cataracts and other vision-related conditions. Working in remote villages, where many young individuals leave their elderly parents behind in search of livelihood, Nanritam becomes a lifeline for visually impaired seniors in and near Purulia in West Bengal.
Ranjana Sengupta heads Nanritam and provides insight into the shocking extent of suffering in these villages, where blindness renders the elderly helpless. Limited access to eye-care institutions in these remote areas intensifies their plight. The NGO is made up of dedicated eye doctors and medical professionals who conduct cataract surgeries and transform the lives of elderly individuals. Ranjana emphasizes the urgent need for funds to support this urgent mission to restore vision to those who cannot afford basic treatment and medical care. Your support can bring light and clarity to the lives of blind elderly individuals. To support Nanritam, you can donate here.
Raphael Ryder Cheshire International Centre
For the past 6 decades, Raphael Ryder Cheshire International Centre for the Relief of Suffering has run a shelter called Shiv Sadan for hundreds of homeless leprosy patients. Leprosy patients encounter stigma and violence due to misconceptions surrounding the disease. Priyo Lall heads Raphael and she emphasizes that even after being cured, discrimination persists and this hinders their employment opportunities and forces many to beg for survival. It is also heartbreaking to know that many of these elderly leprosy patients were abandoned by their families and forced to face this dreaded disease on their own and on the streets.
Shiv Sadan is now showing signs of wear and tear and the lives of its 25 elderly leprosy patients hang in the balance and they face homelessness once again. Priyo Lall stresses the importance of continuing medical care for these leprosy patients even after being cured of the disease since many have severe deformities and open wounds. Raphael has taken on the responsibility of providing holistic care including food, shelter and medical needs. Urgent support is needed for these elderly leprosy patients and your charitable donation can be the lifeline to saves these individuals from homelessness. To support Raphael Ryder Cheshire International Centre, you can donate here.
Donate to these 5 NGOs on Give.do
In a world where many elderly individuals face abandonment and hardship, the tireless efforts of NGOs bring hope and healing. The plight of these abandoned elderly is heartbreaking since they face the harsh challenges of street life and battle poverty, hunger and the constant threat of danger. This is especially dangerous for homeless old women who are at a heightened risk of sexual abuse.
NGOs such as Atchayam Trust, Sarthak Prayas, Mitti Cafe, Nanritam and Raphael Ryder Cheshire International Centre exemplify compassion in action. Now more than ever these NGOs need our support. Your charitable donation can provide shelter, food, medical care and dignity to elderly individuals in urgent and desperate need.
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