The Student Members of NSS –National Service Scheme of Uttaranchal Institute of Management under the aegis of Uttaranchal University paid a visit to the Old Age Home at Premnagar, Dehradun on 1st September, 2018, as per the schedule of Social Responsibility Initiatives framed by the positive motivation of Prof. (Dr.) Pradeep Suri (Director-UIM). They were accompanied Mr. Ravindra Singh Rawat (Head-Cultural & Academic Activities, UIM) &Mr. Rakesh Semwal (NSS- Faculty Coordinator-UIM).
The purpose of this visit was to make the students realise their social responsibilities towards Senior Citizens. Such visits also activate the student’s thought process to realise the agony and pain which the people go through in their old age while living away from their dear ones. The visit intended to teach them how to interact with the elderly who may have poor hearing and understanding alongwith other health problems as a result of old age. The conclusion aimed was firstly, to find out how our students could help the Senior Citizens & make them feel happy and secure and secondly, to create a society in which there is no need to establish Old Age Homes.
Our students from all the various courses went with high enthusiam and conviction to contribute their best during their visit. The students interacted with the residents in the Old Age Home and lovingly served them fresh fruits and juices.
Esha & Himanjali from BBA-V had a talk with a lady from Delhi. She was happy to talk to them and shared her life experiences. She told them that she had been staying at this comfortable place since the last 6years. Shivangi Tyagi of MBA-1 met 82 years old Ms Shanti from Banaras who was living there happily. Pragya of MBA-1 & Sangeeta Chaudhary of MBA-II talked to a lady staying in this home since the past 5 years in spite of having children of her own. She informed that as her children do not care for her her relatives have kept her in this Old Age Home. Nikhil Maurya of MCA-1 had a chat with a lady who expressed her sadness on reduction of her pension from Rs. 3000/- to Rs. 1000/-. Swati Pandey of MBA-II interacted with a lady from Meerut who was bedridden and staying there since the sad demise of her husband. Anubhav Saini of MBA-I spoke to a lady from Dehradun who was suffering from hearing impairment. She told that her children were settled abroad and have not met her since long.
Though the Old Age Home management was providing them with excellent emotional and physical care, still our students observed that such homes demanded frequent visits and some more spending of time with the Senior Citizens. Further, some more facilities like hearing aids and other equipments to help them overcome old age related problems could be provided.
Thus, the visit to the Old Age Home concluded with loads of warmth and showers of blessings extended from the elderly towards our team of students and Faculty Members. They bid us good bye with tearful eyes but with a promise to revisit them frequently.
