Second generation Indian expats in UAE launch novel initiative for seniors

Gulf News

An Indian expat living in Dubai has started a community initiative for the social well-being of senior citizens.  ‘Rishtey’, started by Sandeep Shishodia, 48, President of Jain Seva Mission and a businessman in Dubai, aims to build relationships. Shishodia’s initiative is completely non-profit, he said.  Read the full story here: https://gulfnews.com/uae/second-generation-indian-expats-launch-novel-initiative-for-seniors-1.91261539  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  #UAEnews #Indians #seniorcitizens

Transcript

00:00We thought of this initiative of bringing in the senior citizens of the community together

00:13to tackle certain issues which they, I assume, would be facing.

00:18One of them would be loneliness.

00:19I want to bring this on a foundation of love.

00:22So I have four dimensions to this entire program.

00:25L would stand for lending out ears, listening to them, the time that you can give to them

00:29is the best gift you can give to them.

00:31O would be taking them outdoors.

00:33So we'll make provisions taking them in a bus to a farm, to the desert, to the mountains.

00:38V would be to add vigor in their life, to vitalize them, maybe do some fitness classes

00:45with them, yoga, some sunrise meditation.

00:49I would also want them to take part in volunteering acts and maybe later on, maybe a vacation

00:56planned for them.

00:57And then the last part, E would be to educate them, to empower them.

01:00I would like to conduct workshops on this platform of Jain Seva Mission of maybe teaching

01:06them photography, teaching them IT skills, teaching them technology gadgets which are

01:11coming every day, teaching them social media.

01:13So our youth will come who are experts in these fields and come on platform and teach

01:17them these things.

01:18So these are the four pillars around which this entire rishte, which we call this entire

01:25group right now.

01:26We are planning to start with around 40 members and let's see how it takes shape.

01:31So whole of our idea is that in this situation, let us try again and get together with these

01:38elderly, experienced people.

01:42Because in this fast life, day-to-day life, sometime, you know, we miss this thing or

01:47we unknowingly ignore that there are some people, they really need our time or we have

01:52to take care of them.

01:53That is our responsibility.

01:55One of the initiatives that JSM would be doing is cross-dating where we would have the youth

02:01of our community take out the elderly of our community outside on a dinner date.

02:06There is so much of wisdom and you just can't let that go for waste.

02:11For this youth to be able to absorb that wisdom, build on it and lead a life which is successful

02:17in terms of happiness, it's very important for them also, equally important for them.

02:21I believe this initiative by Jain Seva Mission of forming Riste is a great initiative and

02:30it will be a blessing and help particularly for the people like me who has lost his better

02:37half and looking to meet people with similar experience, similar age, like-minded people.

02:46At the same time, talking to the youth and sharing experience and knowledge and also

02:54learning from them some new things will be a great opportunity.

02:58We all have need for these kind of things that we need at time, companionship, we need

03:06activities which suits our temperament, our physical state and our hobbies.

03:13So all that will also, the way Sandeep gave the idea, it will be fulfilled.

03:20So we are looking forward to all these activities he has in mind and we will wholeheartedly

03:29participate and amongst us, there are some people who do not have so much connectivity.

03:38So we will take them along.

03:39I pay great importance to connectivity, especially in the UAE and we don't need to be very reserved

03:49about all this because we have plenty of time, resources, fitness, so we will connect nicely

03:57with people.

03:58When I found out about this initiative from JSM about meeting people of our age and all

04:06that, I was very happy because I know, you know, I am retired for last two years and

04:13I know how it feels, you know, it's very difficult for me to pass the time, you know, earlier

04:19I used to work for 12-14 hours in my business and all that and never came to know that,

04:25okay, you know, the time is passing.

04:27Now I feel, yes, this kind of group and meetings are very, very essential, which can, you know,

04:38support us, which can give us different activities to do and all that.

04:43So I think the JSM, Sandeep has started a fantastic idea and I wish it grows well and

04:50I hope it will, yes, I am very hopeful about that.

Category

Transcript

Recommended