Dignity Foundation to host

Dignity Foundation to host

“Companionship Carnival”

for senior  citizens

A golden opportunity for senior citizens to build their social network

To find friends and partners for life long companionship

Dignity Foundation,a leading NGO that works for senior citizens, is holding a daylong event titled CAMPANIONSHIP CARNIVAL to promote social networking amongst senior citizens. It will help them find friends and partners for life-long companionship. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 1, 2013 at Tejpal Hall, August Kranti Maidan, Gamdevi from11:00 am onwards. The event will start with nostalgic interactive games such as Lagori, Sakhali, KhoKho, GilliDandawhich will transport them to their childhood era and help them open up and relax.

This will be followed by a lively debate at 12noon on the topic “Live-In partnership as the upcoming trend amongst senior citizens”. This thought provoking topic will be debated by celebrity anchors like Renuka Shahane, SiddharthKak and Dolly Thakore. Visitors to the event will also get a chance to express their views and ask questions.

RenukaShahane, TV personality, states “I am delighted to be part of such an event which dwells into the latest trend of Live-in Relationship among senior citizens. Live-in relationship among the youth has become fairly common especially in large metros. But senior citizens are now opening up to this concept to deal with loneliness in their sunset year. The idea behind hosting such events is great as senior citizens need avenues to meet new people and forge relationships. Dignity Foundation is lending strength to this trend by offering senior citizens a dignified and enjoyable opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals.”

Dr. SheiluSreenivasan, Founder & President of Dignity Foundation says “The trend of seeking companionship is not new. Senior citizens Bipin and Chhaya met at a Chai Masticentre run by Dignity Foundation in Grant Road and decided to get married in July 2006. But that was seven years ago! These days the ‘marriage’ part of the formality has been done away with, as older persons prefer to stay single but with a live-in companion sharing the same roof”.

Special workshops on productive ageing will also be conducted with the help of well known professionals such as SudhaMenon on Writing and Publishing; JamunaPai on Basics of Beauty, and Ayesha Broacha on Photography as Life. In the evening, a Fashion Show has been organized to showcase men and women parading to various themes as a platform for creative expressions. Beauty consultant JamunaPai and well- known theatre personality RaellPadamsee  will be the chief Guests for the Fashion Show.

Sonali Sinha,Chief Operating, Officer, Dignity Foundation states “I believe loneliness is one of the biggest challenges confronting senior citizens. Keeping this in mind we have organized a daylong event which will provide senior citizens many opportunities to interact, connect and develop friendship beyond their immediate circle. For all you know, many people may make life-long friends and companions.”

Kalyani  Shah, Advocate, High Court and Family Court, will speak of legal implications or the absence of them in the Live-In Partnership practice. Her experience in mediating elder abuse cases have been of great value to Dignity Foundation's services to senior citizens who are in difficult circumstances.

The event concludes with a Candle Light Dinner which starts from 7:00 onwards. Dignity Foundation has been working for senior citizens for over 18 years. Dignity offers senior citizens an enriching set of opportunities to lead a more dignified, secure, joyful and fulfilling life.

Dignity Foundation:

Dignity Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. It is also a Public Trust registered with the Charity Commissioner of Mumbai. In 1995 the activities of the Foundation were started with the publication of the magazine Dignity Dialogue. It grew into a service delivery organisation responding to the expressed needs conveyed by the senior citizens themselves.

Dignity Foundation is premised upon scientific developments in the fields of Geriatrics and Gerontology. It offers structural opportunities to exercise the choice of how to live healthy and active in chronologically advancing years. Headquartered at Mumbai, the Foundation has Chapters spread across Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Goa, as well as centres at in Mumbai.

By perennially lobbying with corporate bodies and the government it increases the quantum of facilities and amenities made available to the 50+. The institutional goal is about reaching out to larger numbers in the country with an increasing amount of value additions to the basket it offers. The brilliant reality is the basket can only get more enriching since corporate India is showing a great deal of interest in senior citizens. Our discounts offer is testimony to this growth. We wish to distinguish ourselves as social entrepreneurs with capability to identify and empathise with need nuances of this demographically enlarging constituency.