Velugu Illuminating the lives of senior citizens

Generally there is a rather skewed impression about the residents of old age homes being helpless and whiling away their time listening to devotional songs , chatting with each, singing hymns, recollecting memories of the past or simply getting resigned to their fate. On the contrary, here is a narrative which disproves such notions about the senior citizens.

Residents of Velugu, an old age home in Vizianagaram town have proved that irrespective of age they are equally energetic, competent and capable of getting involved in productive pursuits. According to Mohammad Khalilulla Shareef, , senior citizens at Velugu are thinking differently even at the age of seventy and evincing interest and zeal in learning something new, he said and added that they are even inspiring the youth by getting involved in making articles from clay and also earning income from this vocation.

Mohammad Khalilulla Shareef is running the old age home here and providing nutritious food, accommodation and even medicines free of cost. He says that the residents here are more interested in using their time constructively, rather than sitting idle and watching Television. In tune with their yearning Khalilulla Shareef started with decorative articles from terracotta material, which is easy to make without much difficulty and hardship.

“They can make the toys and other articles by sitting in arm chair,” he says. Mohammad Khalilulla Shareef, contacted Parvathi of Sunnipenta near Srisailam, who is an expert in making toys with the clay and asked her to train the senior citizens and some other DWCRA women residing nearby. Khaleel, is also encouraging DWCRA women in making toys with terracotta and even paying Rs.1500 per month as stipend. “Now they are making attractive decorative articles especially prayer beads (Japa Maala).” Satyavathi, who is around 65 years, is an expert in making face masks with the clay.

Khalilulla Shareef told The Hans India that his aim is to transform the unskilled woman into creative artists and enable them earn to support their families. “We have plans to start stalls at Araku tribal museum and other shopping malls to sell these articles. We are even expecting corporate orders from big offices, star hotels for displaying the toys on their tables and decorate walls.

Parvathi is also training the women senior citizens on how to mould clay into an idol and other articles. Lakshmi, Chinni and some other women who are learning this craft have become confident of becoming experts in this art. Now, the senior citizens are happy and spending their time on their tables and chatting with each other, not in idle mode but when they are busy making the clay articles. Satyvathi says that she is more active now and planning to create some other masks to attract the buyers. Satyvathi wants to prove that she is not unworthy even at the age of sixty five.

By Koppara Gandhi