Elderly There are 3 centres, all in Gujarat, where the elderly are looked after free of charge - Mehenderda, Gandhinagar and Chaparda. Mehenderda - Capacity for 50 elderly. It is run by a resident committee. This centre is funded by donors from India & overseas Gandhinagar - Capacity for 100 elderly. It is run by a resident committee and is funded by local people in Gandhinagar and Ahmadabad. Chaparda - Capacity for 120 elderly. Opened in March 2003.
The reason for creating these facilities for the elderly is that certain elderly people go through extreme hardship in the later part of their lives, sometimes due to no fault of theirs. Hardships like poverty – Gujarat suffers from drought every other year and sometimes for more than two years, ill health and poor health care facilities, family problems, loneliness,and homelessness. Recently Sandhya Pandya visited Chaparda and saw for herself the centre for elderly people. She took the time to talk to some of the old people there and discovered some interesting points: '. . . One thing was made obvious – that they were not wanted by their so called ‘families’. They were a ‘surplus’ to their own family unit . . . ' To read more of her article click here. 
Elderly Home in Chaparda A new development of old peoples home has been constructed at Chaparda to accommodate 120 elders, male and females. This home is for elders who have no next of kin to look after them in their old age. Here they can live comfortably and with dignity, in their last stage of life. The area surrounding this building is an open farmland. It is now being developed with lots of fruit trees, flowers and plants. In a short time it will develop into a beautiful, green pleasant place where elders can live happily. This home is free and is supported by local and overseas donors. This centre requires donors to help in its running. A donation of £25 a month (£300 a year) can help to care for 1 elderly for one year. All of his or her needs are fulfilled from this amount – food, clothes, medicine, other minor expenses etc. |
