Now, an employment exchange for the elderly

Wizened with wealth of experience and years of knowledge, but to utilize the same gainfuly isn't an easy task for senior citizens.

Wizened with wealth of experience and years of knowledge but to utilize the same in a gainful way is not an easy task for the senior citizens.

An NGO has found a solution and claims that it is doing well. In August alone the NGO has helped around 1000 senior citizens find gainful employment, says Himanshu Rath of Agewell Foundation. 8220;We provide them with work assistance like home tuitions, managerial jobs etc,8221; he says.

Started in 1999 the Foundation8217;s aim is to instill self-confidence in the senior citizens and to tell them that there is nothing wrong in becoming old. Our endeavour is to bring about a change in the perception of old age,8221; says Himanshu Rath, who founded the organisation.

The NGO has its offices in 540 districts all over the country and says its employs services of professionals, senior bureaucrats, professors; artists, writers, judges 8211; all people who sincerely feel for the cause. They are assisted by a huge base of volunteers and trained counselors.

8220;We interact with thousands of senior citizens all over the country in a day. Our Delhi office gets around 200-250 calls a day,8221; says Rath.

Around 8 per cent of Indian population consists of old age persons, while in Delhi, its around 12 per cent.

The most common problem that these people suffer from is of alienation. He feels that the primary cause of this problem is lack of dialogue between the senior citizens and their family members, which is due to 8220;generation gap8221;.

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8220;When there are inter-personal problems, we mediate between senior people and their family members and in most cases, it turns out to be a problem of lack of communication,8221; says Rath.

He says the number of people calling Agewell has been increasing ever since its inception in 1999. 8220;Life has become very fast now. Means of communication and technology have increased. So, family members do not have time for their seniors,8221; he says.

For outstanding Contribution for extending a helping hand to the older persons and their families, Agewell Foundation was awarded with Vijaya Gujaral Award in 2001 and it has represented Indian delegation to international workshops on ageing as well.

Another major problem in old age is of economic security, for which the NGO has set up an employment exchange for the senior citizens.

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This scheme called Eklavya aims to provide gainful engagement for interested older persons and it assisted over 1000 older persons during the month of August 2008.

8220;There8217;s a feeling in senior citizens that they can not work after retirement, though their body and mind are fully ok. So, we provide them with work assistance like home tuitions, managerial posts, watchman etc,8221; he says.

Apart from inter-personal problems, legal, medical and financial problems of the seniors are also looked after by Agewell.