INDIA: HelpAge sets up home for elderly women in Eastern India

KOLKATA (The Times of India), July 27, 2008: They are linked together by loneliness. Anjali Ghosh, who lived in Agarpara, lost her husband three years ago. Her three daughters are settled outside Bengal. Like her, Ava Das also has no one she can stay with. So, she came to Kolkata seeking a shelter. Both Anjali and Ava - and other elderly women like her - have found a second home at Kalyan Ashram, an old-age residence run by HelpAge India at Chetla. Like the others, Anjali is very happy here. "I feel very comfortable. I have a well-furnished room, a kitchen and a good dining room. The balcony is a great place to while away my time," she said. HelpAge India is known for its initiatives to accommodate elderly, helpless women across the country. But the old-age home at Chetla is the NGO's first such venture in eastern India. The two-storey building, donated to HelpAge India by its member KSB Sanyal, has been converted into a modern home for elderly women. Though space has been created to accommodate 10 elderly women, the organisation plans to take in 20 more. "An attendant, a supervisor and a cook will take care of every need of the inmates. We will even provide them with medical facilities," said Anuradha Sen, deputy director, programmes, HelpAge India. NGO officials said the residents would be charged nothing apart from a one-time nominal amount for their medical needs. Copyright © 2008 Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd