Akshaya Trust: an NGO for old aged, abused, abandoned parents

A YOUNG man’s wife suddenly died, leaving his mother-in-law in his care. The man, instead of caring for her, locked the old woman inside a room and refused to give her food and water. He screamed, kicked the door and kept her inside that locked room for 6 months. The old woman was discovered in an emaciated condition on the verge of death. Upon giving her immediate medical care, she was brought to Akshaya Trust, an NGO for old age parents who are abandoned or mistreated, and in need of a safe and caring home. 

Akshaya Trust was founded in 2001 to be a place of shelter and care for abused and abandoned elders who are mistreated at the hands of their own children and families. In the past 23 years, Akshaya Trust has rescued old men and women who were beaten, chased out of their homes, denied food and forced to be homeless on the streets. The founder of this NGO for old age abandoned parents, G. Gopalan, had a heart to rescue these miserable senior citizens and transform their lives with a warm and loving home, nutritious food, medical attention, clean clothing, recreational activities and the affection and companionship of the team and other residents of Akshaya Trust.

In this short campaign video, hear from G. Gopalan on how abandoned senior citizens suffer and how Akshaya Trust rescues them in their hour of need:

To learn more about Akshaya Trust and help the NGO rescue and care for more abused and abandoned senior citizens:

Support Akshaya Trust

Just like the old woman locked inside a room for 6 months, many other mistreated senior citizens are waiting to come to Akshaya Trust and need your support to make this happen.

How G. Gopalan started Akshaya Trust

He had just sold his successful business and G. Gopalan wondered what to do with the money from the sale. He contemplated starting a new business. Or perhaps joining a new company and getting back into the workforce. But he was grateful for all that he had and wanted to spend the rest of his life giving back to society. He looked around him and saw that one of the most ignored groups of people are senior citizens who are left alone in the world without anyone to care for them. Seeing that so many of them are old parents and grandparents of children who have abandoned them after decades of love and care, G. Gopalan founded an NGO for old age parents called Akshaya Trust in the early 2000s to give them a home to live in for the rest of their lives without the fear of being mistreated or abandoned again.

What Akshaya Trust provides for abandoned parents

The elders who are brought to Akshaya Trust have either been rescued from the streets or dumped at the NGO’s doorstep by the people who are abandoning them. The team from the NGO gives them immediate medical attention and sees to it that any urgent care is provided to them. The new residents of Akshaya Trust have a safe place to live in with enough space to feel comfortable. Each day, they are fed regular and nutritious meals in the dining hall that keeps them healthy, energetic and active. The older people get, the more they require medical attention for the conditions and illnesses that come with age. The residents of Akshaya Trust have regular appointments with doctors and receive the medication they need to keep their bodies in good health. 

The residents at this NGO for old age parents have spent years being mistreated by people. Whether living at home with families who abuse them or living on the streets alongside people who harm them, most of them suffer from emotional pain, loneliness and are sometimes unable to recover from being hurt by their families and especially, their own children. To comfort them, the Akshaya Trust team engages with them on a daily basis and also ensures that there are enough recreational activities arranged at the home to help them socialize with the other residents and form lifelong bonds. 

The tragedy of abandoning parents

G. Gopalan explains that throughout India, cultures honor and respect their elders. But, he shares that despite this people still mistreat their parents and grandparents for reasons such as not wanting to care for them or spend money on them anymore. Furthermore, there are also people who want senior citizens’ possessions such as their property or assets. Having taken what they want from them, people abandon their parents or grandparents, leaving them alone, afraid and heartbroken.

There are an estimated 104 million senior citizens in India. While many of them live in their own homes with families who care for them, there are others who are deprived of this and are pushed out onto the streets. G. Gopalan shares that “we are all in this world today because of our parents. Our parents raised us, educated us, helped us get a job and taught us how to live. It is our responsibility, therefore, to protect them and not abandon them in their old age”. The most painful thing Gopalan shares is that while their physical bodies can heal from the lack of shelter, food and medicines, their hearts may never recover from being pushed away by their own children to whom they have devoted their entire lives. 

Support Akshaya Trust

Your support to Akshaya Trust can help G. Gopalan care for more abused and abandoned senior citizens in need of rescue and affection for the rest of their lives. There are more mistreated senior citizens who are still waiting to be rescued by the NGO for old age parents and brought to a safe place with love and affection. To support Akshaya Trust, you can donate here:

Support Akshaya Trust

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