Category: The Elderly/Aged
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The impact of abandonment on health of the elderly
THE issue of abandonment among the elderly is a growing concern in India since it has serious consequences on health and well-being. As the country undergoes rapid demographic changes and societal shifts, the elderly population is increasingly vulnerable to neglect. This article explores the impact of abandonment on the health of the elderly. It also…
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How visually Impaired Laljibhai is a saviour for abandoned blind seniors
IN a society that prides itself on its rich cultural values and close-knit family bonds, it is disheartening to acknowledge that many blind senior citizens in India are abandoned and left to fend for themselves. To address this issue, NGOs in India have stepped up to take up roles that are quintessential in providing necessary…
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Why can’t we care for elders who nurtured us?
Aged persons don’t deserve to be neglected, abused or abandoned THE essential values of Indian culture and tradition are learnt through families. Throughout our childhood we are taught to respect elders and gestures such as touching their feet are practised out of respect. Even now, joint family systems exist and are valued where three or…
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Bi, a cancer patient, had a goat for a best friend
Bi was leading a lonely life after the death of her husband till Sita the goat came along. After being diagnosed with cancer, she couldn’t see her goat for 6 months but managed to do so shortly before her death.
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Are we addressing the needs of the elderly in India?
Aristophanes once referred to old age as a “second childhood”. This statement has stayed with mankind even after centuries of the writer’s passing away, probably because of the crisp truth it offers. The elderly, with their bodies beginning to give in to old age, indeed enter into a stage of second infancy. They need a…
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How it began at Spurthi Mahila Mandal
It all started in the year 1981 when Ms. Shyamala Vardarajan, the founder of Spurthi Mahila Mandal (SMM) relocated to Bijapur from Chennai after marriage. With a Masters in Botany, she joined The Aided College in Bijapur as a professor. Shyamala was an active volunteer back in Chennai, always ready to get involved with social…
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A stalwart in the lives of lost, battered, and lonely elderly’s journey
“Old people are pressure cookers, ready to burst any moment if pressure is not handled at the right time.” – Himanshu Rath, Founder, Agewell Foundation. Himanshu has a new definition for retirement. “I’m done with earning money for livelihood now. I have saved enough and sometimes I do freelancing. I want to focus on something…
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How it began at Agewell Foundation
A fifteen minute autorickshaw ride in scorching heat from South Delhi to a two-storied office building in the city’s suburb of Lajpat Nagar seemed worthwhile after I met Himanshu Rath, the founder of Agewell Foundation. Himanshu’s professional journalistic roots were immediately evident in the large piles of books neatly arranged in all corners of his…
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How it began at Bhavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust (SENEH)
Mr. Barua, the founder of Bavada Devi Memorial Philanthropic Trust (SENEH), used to be part of the Airforce. Bavada Devi was his mother and ‘SENEH’ translates to mother’s love in Assamese. His work took him to many places and he had seen the whole of India by the early 90s. In 1999, he took voluntary…
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This organisation is run by a family who are moved by the plight of the poor
Old-Age Home: A grey-haired man who thinks he is 12 years old, since he is stuck in the past because of a traumatic incident in his teenage years. An elderly man who is stuck in his childhood after a snake scared him. A weak, senile man who was found on the road appallingly sick with…
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An organization that takes serving the poor seriously
It was my first trip to Pune and little did I realize it was going to be such a memorable one. Amidst heavy rains, I boarded a bus at the ever-crowded Dadar for the Maharashtrian capital. It turned out to be a three and half hour serene journey as the monsoons made the ride through…
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Emergency Blood Donor Bank, Ration Distribution, Birthday Project, Green India and more
by Yashika Sharma Started in 1999 as emergency blood phone help line, Sarthak Prayas now works for four majorcauses —creating the longest chain of emergency blood donors, providing education and human values to children, giving benefits to senior citizens, and greening the environment for future generations. Mission Save Life, which is their dream project, is…
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The inspiration behind Dignity Foundation
So what led Sheilu Srinivasan, a champion in both sports and academics during her school days, to venture down the non-profit path? Seems to be a combination of her upbringing as well as her exposure to the plight of the elderly. Sheilu was raised in an environment of selfless service and giving to others –…
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Lives changed by the Dignity Foundation
I spent the day at the Dignity Foundation from the 1st to the 5th of June, hoping to meet recipients of their rations programme. It is on the first five days of every month that recipients on this programme come down to collect the same. But it turned out that because of the pouring rains,…