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MUMBAI (DNA - Daily News & Analysis), September 6, 2008:
By Joanna Lobo
For the new generation of senior citizens, retirement is just the beginning of a new and successful second career
Every year, thousands of people approach their sixtieth year, with more than a hint of trepidation. In most companies in the country, it’s the age that officially marks an employee’s retirement — the year they’re packed away with an expensive gift and a pension fund. And the thought of not doing anything after having worked for more than 25 years in a nine-to-five setting can be quite intimidating, especially for senior citizens who don’t believe that they have lost their mental or physical faculties with age.
But rather than simply watch the days go by, a new wave of senior citizens are putting their cumulative years of experience consulting for companies, or are taking on new hobbies and activities.
When 70-year-old Anthony Martyris retired in 1997 as general manager of the National Organic Chemical Industries Ltd. (NOCIL), he decided to get involved in as many things as possible — a luxury his hectic job never allowed. He immersed himself in social work, religious activities, catching up with friends, etc.
“I am into so many activities because I believe that we all need to give something back to society,” he says.
His mantra of “giving back” was shared by a group of retired executives, and together they started the Navi Mumbai branch of the Voluntary Executive Forum of India.
“What we do is offer consultancy services to industries, free of charge. It’s a collaborative effort with half the group involved in social work and the other half helping the government with their science programmes,” says Martyris.
Rather than bemoaning the long hours with “nothing to do”, an increasing number of senior citizens are viewing retirement as an opportunity to do what they love.
Eunice de Souza, 68, the former head of the English Literature department at St Xavier’s College, uses her free time to write and catch up on her reading. Retirement didn’t change her life dramatically.
“I continued to do what I used to before I retired: Reading and writing. I keep myself busy. Recently, I edited the book, Both Sides of the Sky and published some of my poems — An Anthology of Poems in English. I also write a weekly column for a newspaper,” she says.
The fact that most of our politicians are well over the mandatory retirement age, but continue to run the country, cannot be ignored: A case in point is our prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.
“The word ‘retirement’ does not exist in my dictionary,” says 69-year-old Mani Mulla. This petite, but feisty lady believes in giving everything a try.
“I love performing; anything to do with singing, acting,” she says. When she retired from her job as a primary teacher, all it took was a little bit of “positive thinking”. In fact, Mulla’s life is more hectic now than before. “Currently, I’m the coordinator of the primary and pre-primary sections of Modern School, and I also do a bit of part-time work for All India Radio (AIR) Gujarati.”
Giving retired and senior citizens a chance to live a fuller and richer life is the
Dignity Foundation.
Susan Stanton, the manager of the Foundation’s Second Careers, says, “Those who are interested, send in their bio-data, and we find them jobs keeping in mind their preferences and capabilities.”
According to Stanton, corporate India is more than willing to hire experienced and knowledgeable retirees on a consultancy basis.
“Jobs for senior retired citizens can be found in any field —banking, consultancy, sales and engineering and in the hospitality business.”
For most people, it’s no longer about the money, but a chance to do something they want to do. They no longer have to deal with feelings like ‘I’m stuck in a rut’, or ‘I hate my job’.
Irene Fernandes, 62, is the epitome of a successful and happy retiree. The former principal of St Xavier’s School (pre-primary section) decided that a change in career was the order of the day. “I liked the challenge of having to work with computers, although it took me some time to learn it. Sitting around, reading, going to clubs, etc, wasn’t my cup of tea,” she says.
For the majority, the post-retirement years are a chance to take up a new challenge like learning a new dance form, or hitting the gym. Dance schools and gyms have cottoned on to this trend, and offer special classes for senior citizens.
Leena Mogre, director of Leena Mogre’s Fitness Academy in Khar, confirms this: “They want to be fit and healthy, and they have the time to join a gym. They get a chance to meet new people, and make new friends.”
Meeta Bhatti, deputy editor of
Harmony - Celebrating Age, a magazine for senior citizens, says, “It’s myth that once you get old and retire, you are unable to be productive and useful.”
And that’s something Mumbai’s new generation of senior citizens is discovering.
l_joanna@dnaindia.net
© 2005-2008 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd
Eunice de Souza, 68, the former head of the English Literature department at St Xavier’s College, uses her free time to write and catch up on her reading. Retirement didn’t change her life dramatically.
“I continued to do what I used to before I retired: Reading and writing. I keep myself busy. Recently, I edited the book, Both Sides of the Sky and published some of my poems — An Anthology of Poems in English. I also write a weekly column for a newspaper,” she says.
The fact that most of our politicians are well over the mandatory retirement age, but continue to run the country, cannot be ignored: A case in point is our prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.
“The word ‘retirement’ does not exist in my dictionary,” says 69-year-old Mani Mulla. This petite, but feisty lady believes in giving everything a try.
“I love performing; anything to do with singing, acting,” she says. When she retired from her job as a primary teacher, all it took was a little bit of “positive thinking”. In fact, Mulla’s life is more hectic now than before. “Currently, I’m the coordinator of the primary and pre-primary sections of Modern School, and I also do a bit of part-time work for All India Radio (AIR) Gujarati.”
Giving retired and senior citizens a chance to live a fuller and richer life is the Dignity Foundation.
Susan Stanton, the manager of the Foundation’s Second Careers, says, “Those who are interested, send in their bio-data, and we find them jobs keeping in mind their preferences and capabilities.”
According to Stanton, corporate India is more than willing to hire experienced and knowledgeable retirees on a consultancy basis.
“Jobs for senior retired citizens can be found in any field —banking, consultancy, sales and engineering and in the hospitality business.”
For most people, it’s no longer about the money, but a chance to do something they want to do. They no longer have to deal with feelings like ‘I’m stuck in a rut’, or ‘I hate my job’.
Irene Fernandes, 62, is the epitome of a successful and happy retiree. The former principal of St Xavier’s School (pre-primary section) decided that a change in career was the order of the day. “I liked the challenge of having to work with computers, although it took me some time to learn it. Sitting around, reading, going to clubs, etc, wasn’t my cup of tea,” she says.
For the majority, the post-retirement years are a chance to take up a new challenge like learning a new dance form, or hitting the gym. Dance schools and gyms have cottoned on to this trend, and offer special classes for senior citizens. Leena Mogre, director of Leena Mogre’s Fitness Academy in Khar, confirms this: “They want to be fit and healthy, and they have the time to join a gym. They get a chance to meet new people, and make new friends.”
Meeta Bhatti, deputy editor of Harmony - Celebrating Age, a magazine for senior citizens, says, “It’s myth that once you get old and retire, you are unable to be productive and useful.”
And that’s something Mumbai’s new generation of senior citizens is discovering.
l_joanna@dnaindia.net
© 2005-2008 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd
