iEARN Pakistan Youth Volunteering and Community Services Program
Spending a Day at a Senior Home
21st May '2004
A group of iEARN students spend a productive day with the habitants of a Senior Home. They had taken along with them fruits and games to give away to the ladies of the Home.
Most of these students felt the importance and
developed a sense of responsibility towards their elders and realized that old age people
are also an important element of our society. They deserve our attention and need our
time. They enjoyed this activity thoroughly and felt no hitch or reservation in
interacting with the most feable and mentally and physically unfit personals.
"We could feel their
feelings.After all thier children and family left them alone at this age.We bought
some fruits for them and some games. We gave
them time we listened to what they wanted to tell.We talked with them.Actually they are so
old. They need time.They want that some one spent his/her time with them and listen to
thier talks and feel for them..I personally realize that they are physically healthy but
mentally they are so ill.They think
that they are alone in this world.This visit exactly teaches us that old people are main
part of our society their prayers are very helpfull for us for our good future.We must
think that they are human like as they need time, love, caring as we need. I have a
message for those people who think and plan that in future they will leave their parents
in an old house where the authorities will look after them, but please try to understand
our emotions and feelings give them smile,love, care if you do this then Allah will give u
a
great reaward for it".- Samana Abbas Abidi (Govt. School)
The girls tried their best to make the people there at ease and feel comfortable. They helped the ladies in moving around. doing little chores for them.
We visited the old house for women. First we took some fruits and games with us such as ludos and cards as the gifts then we went to the old house. When we went there the supervisor and the manager received us then we sat in a hall. The supervisor told us about the old house that when it started. She also told us that there are about forty women in there. She also showed us the kitchen and the dining room. It was all superb, fascinating and clean. Then we went upstairs we greeted all the old women up there they were very nice but some of them were ill and have been given medication. Some of them were too old they couldn’t even get up by themselves. We met many old women we talked to them and had a lot of fun. One of them hugged me and said: "why didn’t you come to meet me?" I was so confused at the moment but I overcame my confusion and said, "but I am here to meet you". One of them told me about her side of the story she said that her father died and she was the eldest so she had the responsibility of the whole house. She had to take care of her brothers and sisters and her mother but her mother also died and her brothers fell seriously ill and died her sister went for the nursing course but she got insane. So she came to the old house. She is there since 23 or 24 years. After that it was there rest time so we left the old house with mix feeling of joy and sorrow. We were so sad to hear that how they’ve suffered the catastrophes of life and we were happy because we have met such great personalities of the world.Uroba Azhar (Govt. School)