Project to engage senior citizens in community activities to be launched

AMRITSAR: Implementing his concept of engaging the elderly in activities that bring about a social change and ensuring that their twilight years are productive, city-based youngster Inderpreet Singh has collaborated with Sarab Asara, a home for the old to engage them in community-based activities.

Inderpreet Singh has been promoting the SPEEE project among citizens, especially students, in Amritsar on Thursday. tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 15

Implementing his concept of engaging the elderly in activities that bring about a social change and ensuring that their twilight years are productive, city-based youngster Inderpreet Singh has collaborated with Sarab Asara, a home for the old to engage them in community-based activities. He will also officially launch the programme called SPEEE (Society for Productive Engagement and Entertainment for Elderly) in collaboration with IVY Children. Inderpreet has roped in Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who will launch the project on Saturday.

The project is designed to make senior citizens a part of the community skill development movement and make them self reliant. “Initially, we will be working with 12 senior citizens and impart them skills for programmes like mushroom farming, organic farming and other activities that help them keep busy and become productive. A small kitchen garden will be provided by Sarab Asara and the infrastructure will be provided by Dilbir Foundation,” informed Inderpreet.

Sarab Asara, an initiative of the Youth For Global Transformation and Peace, will also provide land to expand upon the programme further. “We reached out to several volunteers from Khalsa College’s agriculture department, who will guide the inmates about methods of farming. Also, a weekly medical checkup would also be done for free of cost, to take care of their health issues,” he informed. The senior citizens will pair up with the underprivileged kids from IVY Children, for the skill development programme. It will include theatre training as well.

Calling his programme unique for the city, Inderpreet Singh said that the lack of avenues and regard for the life of senior citizens from the administration is disappointing. “Old age homes have attained a negative association, only considered as the abandonment ground for people who live with lost cause. I want to change that, working through the same elderly, making these homes a potential start-up hub.”