INDIA: Agewell starts an employment agency for the elderly

. NEW DELHI - Press Trust of India - October 17, 2008 By Raj Kumar Sharma Wealth of experience and years of knowledge of senior citizens is often not utilized in a gainful way. An NGO has found a solution and claims it is doing well. In August this year it helped about 1,000 senior citizens find gainful employment, says Himanshu Rath of Agewell Foundation. "We provide them with work assistance like home tuitions, managerial jobs etc." The Foundation aims to instill self-confidence in senior citizens and to bring about a change in the perception of old age, says Himanshu Rath, who founded the organisation in 1999. Around 8 per cent of Indian population consists of old age persons, while in Delhi, it is around 12 per cent. The old suffer alienation due lack of dialogue with family members. When there are inter-personal problems, Agewell mediates and, in many cases, it turns out it is due to lack of communication. © Copyright PTI 2008