Be bold Save Old- A walk with elders.

With trembling hands, they supported each other; a blur has taken over the colors of their sight. Their lips had forgotten smiles, and pleasant was a dream that was lived once long back. Under the morning sun, they sat in this age of retirement, not to relax but to protest.

No, this is not a portion of script of a movie or play, but the truth seen on 14^th at Lal Bagh, Bangalore, where elders from Nightingale Medical Trust gathered to tell the world their tale. In an age where they should be singing lullaby and telling “once upon a time…” tales to their grand children, they were here, to spread awareness on elder abuse. We volunteers of Volunteer for a Cause (VFC) joined them to tell the world, none is getting younger.

The garden city of India is home to as many as six lakh elders, and the proportion of abuse is the same. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), celebrated every year on June 15 is a UN intiative to bring the unreported mistreatment to elders around the world. “All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights, and have the right to age with dignity, respected by their families and communities, free of neglect, abuse and violence,” said UN general secretary Ban Ki-moon addressing the 2014 WEAAD.

The truth in the ground is brutal and shocking than what we see in the statistics. Even after devoting their lifetime to children and family, the elders end up with abuse and subsequently in old age homes. They once burned their dreams for the sake of children and today their children have burnt their hopes. Volunteers upon attending the session previously conducted by Adv. Shiv Kumar, and understanding the legality of the issue, had taken a keen interest in bringing the issue to the spotlight. In the event, volunteers walked hand in hand with elders from Lal Bagh to Nightingales Medical Trust. Prior to the walk, elders enacted a small play, which would have been part of many of their life.

The play had two elderly couples pushed out of home, after their property taken in the shadows of lies, by son and his wife. Before Nightingales Medical Trust rescued them, they underwent abuse to the core. As act finished on stage some smiled to us, and some had tears rolling down. Volunteers from VFC, held their hands for a 2KM walk, in the Saturday sun through the heart of city. “Be bold, Save Old.” echoed around as we walked through the morning traffic. To our excitement, elders walked every step with energy unbelievable.

Upon reaching the Nightingales Medical Trust, we interacted with elders. Spending some moments with them was nostalgic for most of us, away from home, missing times with our grandparents. They sung old songs for us and even danced. Were they elders or were they back to infancy? They even remembered the lines of songs form 1950’s, and sung it with the passion they once had.

For us, it was holiday well devoted, spreading the message of dialing 1090 (across Bangalore from Idea, Airtel or 080-22943226), to raise your voice against elder abuse. We thank Nightingale Medical Trust for giving us the opportunity to be part of their initiative, and Bangalore Police for the Elders Helpline, and the support during the walk through the city.