INDIA: An Insurance For Old Age

. BANGALORE, Karnataka / The Times of India / November 16, 2009 By Arpita Misra, Times News Network She waits eagerly for this one day of the month when she can spend quality time in the company of like-minded and like-aged people, sharing one another's experience -- and soaking in a sense of assurance that there are many more like her. For 74-year-old Meera Kamath, just to dress up for the occasion gives her impetus enough to look forward to meeting fellow members of Ashvasan Foundation. In today's changing socio-economic set-up, it's often the elderly who find themselves cornered, braving the pangs of loneliness and craving for a sense of belonging. And it's for people like them that Ashvasan Foundation ushers in a sense of inclusion, boosting their self-esteem and enhancing their dignity. Established in 1993, the Foundation has eight recreation centres across the city with over 1,000 members. Each centre organizes get-togethers once a month, where senior citizens of a particular area can meet and spend quality time together, relaxing, playing indoor games, listening to music and participating in various activities. Informative talk sessions are organized on topics such as coping with loneliness, fear of being old, social and psychological health and other relevant issues. A brainchild of Lalita Shivaram Ubhayaker, the foundation has grown brick-by-brick over the past 16 years. "I spent a lot of time with my mother during the twilight of her life and her subsequent death left a vacuum in my existence. I was aware of what ageing could do to a person and that's when I decided I should work for the welfare of this section of society. Ashvasan was one of its kind at the time of inception. All our projects have been pilots as we had no set model to emulate," says 80-year-old Lalita. Lalita Ubhayaker, 80 - "Her life is an affirmation of the joy of living, of giving selflessly to others, and absorbing herself completely in her task, which is now her mission in life — to build support systems, and reach out to senior citizens of Bangalore through her organisation, Ashvasan." This tribute by THE HINDU was published on her 75th birthday in 1973. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy/TheHindu The services of Ashvasan have touched many lives in the city and its fringes as their other initiatives involve feeding senior citizens across five slums every day, training the financially deprived in income-generating activities such as making paper and cloth bags, and organizing regular health camps at subsidized rates. The Foundation also organizes an annual seminar encompassing topics of health, finance, physical security and spiritual well-being of the greying crowd. "Everyone is welcome to be a part of Ashvasan. We believe in 'smile and make others smile' policy," explains 79-year-old R Sriram, a life member of the Foundation. "Such set-ups are rare but much-needed today," adds Meera, who's a member of Ashvasan for 10 years now. The journey over the years has encountered ample rough weather, with fund crunch being a constant impediment. "I'm always in look-out for more volunteers. Though there's little glamour in being part of such an initiative, I want more youths to participate," adds Lalita. As the name suggests, Ashvasan provides the much-needed assurance and mental cushioning to stride through various phases of ageing, a natural phenomenon often curtained in the humdrum of materialistic pursuits. [rc] Copyright © 2009 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.