The World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis (WAPIZ) appeals to community members to help identify seniors who are unable to ask for help for themselves.
WAPIZ started the Helping Hands for Seniors Project about two years back to help seniors with daily chores or accompanying them to doctors, banks, etc. While rendering such services we were shocked to see the condition some of our community members are living in.
Many live alone, neglected and helpless. Most survive on the bare minimum, in unkempt, unhygienic homes unfit for human habitation, with personal hygiene neglected and ignored for years!
Most exhibited some degree and form of mental illness, which made us realize why they were living the way they were. They were simply not able to even ask for help for themselves!
Despite their condition or maybe because of it, most were unwilling to leave their homes even to allow us to render basic renovations like making their toilets usable, buying new beds and mattresses, installing a fridge, etc.
Nor did we have any place to house them temporarily for even a month to be able to clean their homes, fumigate the place and carry out basic repairs.
It was with such cases in mind that we started, with the help of the Pandole family and other donors, a stopgap shelter at Dadar.
None of these lonely, neglected seniors are on social media, nor do they receive our community newspapers. Every one of the homes of seniors that WAPIZ has cleaned till date has been brought to our attention by neighbors, relatives and colony associations.
We appeal to readers to inform us of any such unfortunate cases they may be aware of, so that we may provide them support and help to live in dignity and some comfort with the knowledge that the community has not abandoned them. Please contact WAPIZ on 9820113791.
ANAHITA DESAI
For team WAPIZ
anahitadesai1@gmail.com