“The plight of the elderly is sometimes forgotten or pushed aside. We wanted to reach out to the elderly as they form part of the vulnerable persons in society.”
THE ELDERLY at Seochareng old-age village in Galeshewe were treated to a hot plate of food and some educational advice on how to stay safe during the pandemic by the Remogo Northern Cape Mother’s Organisation.
The vice-secretary of the organisation, Mpho Mothibi, said the event was not merely in commemoration of Women’s Day on Monday.
“We have not only focussed on the female elderly people but all residents at the old-age home. We have noticed that most organisations mostly focus on children and youth programmes in the community. The plight of the elderly is sometimes forgotten or pushed aside. We wanted to reach out to the elderly as they form part of the vulnerable persons in society,” Mothibi said.
She said that the organisation’s members had decided to cook a meal for the residents.
“We served the elderly residents with a plate of food as many of them have family members who have forgotten about them. Some do not even receive any visits from family members anymore. It is heartbreaking as some are no longer able to do basic tasks. To serve someone a cooked meal is not only to feed a person but also to signify respect,” said Mothibi.
She urged other organisations not to wait for national holidays to make an impact in their community.
“There are some organisations who only assist community members when national holidays are commemorated. Each helping hand should not be overlooked, but community members face difficult situations daily. We cannot wait until there is a commemoration to make a difference in someone’s life. We also need to include all vulnerable members in our society. Each hand must help and find ways of uplifting their fellow community member,” she said.
