Thousands of Dawoodi Bohra community volunteers have dispersed to over 200 villages, towns and cities across India to undertake a range of social welfare activities as part of the five-day upliftment program starting from the 27th of November. The aim of this annual program is to raise the living standards of the less fortunate members of society who need additional support in terms of housing, food, health and spiritual wellbeing. This year’s theme is helping elderly people in the community by attending to their various needs and attempting to bringing joy into their lives.
Sharing the philosophy of the eldercare program, SadiqJamaluddin, Head Coordinator of the program said, “The Dawoodi Bohra community, under the guidance of His Holiness SyednaMufaddalSaifuddin, strives to uphold the Prophet’s directives on caring for elders. His Holiness has regularly counselled the community on the importance of elder care as necessitated by the Islamic ethos of brotherhood and community.”
“Following His Holiness’s counsel, community members across the world have organized a host of recreational and leisure events along with medical checkups. This is in addition to fostering meaningful conversations with experts and family members in an attempt to address the problem of loneliness and provide a healthy home environment for elders aged 70 years and above,” added Jamaluddin
To ensure that elders are well taken care of and their essential requirements are being met throughout the year, a follow-up mechanism will be put in place for each individual, where volunteers will continue to visit them and look into various aspects of their lives. These include proper nutrition, understanding their daily schedule, religious aspects, health and hygiene issues, leisure activities and social interactions. Their financial wellbeing will also be looked into.
The concept of eldercare is a pressing issue in today’s world, especially in India where the aged population is expected to increase from 8.7 per cent in 2015 to nearly 20 per cent of the total population by 2050. This growth of the aged population means that caring for the elderly and addressing their problems will be a growing collective responsibility for individuals, communities and society at large.
Sharing the philosophy of the eldercare program, SadiqJamaluddin, Head Coordinator of the program said, “The Dawoodi Bohra community, under the guidance of His Holiness SyednaMufaddalSaifuddin, strives to uphold the Prophet’s directives on caring for elders. His Holiness has regularly counselled the community on the importance of elder care as necessitated by the Islamic ethos of brotherhood and community.”
“Following His Holiness’s counsel, community members across the world have organized a host of recreational and leisure events along with medical checkups. This is in addition to fostering meaningful conversations with experts and family members in an attempt to address the problem of loneliness and provide a healthy home environment for elders aged 70 years and above,” added Jamaluddin
To ensure that elders are well taken care of and their essential requirements are being met throughout the year, a follow-up mechanism will be put in place for each individual, where volunteers will continue to visit them and look into various aspects of their lives. These include proper nutrition, understanding their daily schedule, religious aspects, health and hygiene issues, leisure activities and social interactions. Their financial wellbeing will also be looked into.
The concept of eldercare is a pressing issue in today’s world, especially in India where the aged population is expected to increase from 8.7 per cent in 2015 to nearly 20 per cent of the total population by 2050. This growth of the aged population means that caring for the elderly and addressing their problems will be a growing collective responsibility for individuals, communities and society at large.