FUTURE PROJECT: HOME FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS

It’s our deep realization that other than Children and Widows, there’s a tremendous need for Senior Citizens who’re often left without care, shelter and dignity. Ever expanding gaps between urban and rural communities with income disparity and growing family needs, for which most of the low income communities are unable to support their extended family members especially the elders – is a hard reality! As a result, the senior citizens are often left without shelter and care and even there’re times the elders don’t get an honourable good-bye when they depart from this world. The challenges aren’t always driven by poverty alone, but most often the members of younger generation too fail to realize the valuable contribution and rich legacy the senior citizensleave behindthem. It appears that many of us aren’t aware of the ‘Family-Value System’ by which these elders used to keep the families and communities together for generations, and in the absence of such value system, we’ve so many broken families, divorces and children without parents. As a result there’s so many discord in the communities as we witness in these days. Only a small percentage of urban citizens who retired from their secured services get some pension (as part of their savings), but yet that isn’t good enough to cover their food and medical expenses. Then there’s hardly any social security measures with provision particularly for the elders. It’s also true that not all families wish their elders to leave their homes, but many a times the senior citizens themselves feel not to be a burden on their families or use-up the family minimum income that might help their grandchildren, and therefore, prefer to stay away. But then where can they go…? Foot-path, railway station, or far away from others due to public shame…and resort to begging! These are some of the bitter truth uncovered through several interviews with them. To meet these growing needs and demand, the Naihati New Life Society (NNLS) plans to open a ‘Shelter Home for the Senior Citizens’ in the near future (2022 – 23). The goals of this project are to: shelter the homeless and needy elders left uncared and lonely, providing them with proper shelter, food and healthcare and above all giving them an honourable farewell when they depart from this world to their heavenly abode!