Dawoodi Bohra community begins drive to take care of elderly members

A five-day drive to look after the elderly people of the Dawoodi Bohra community was on Wednesday started here, a spokesperson of the community said.

Volunteers from the community will cover homes across several villages, towns and cities in the country, aiming at raising the living standards of the less fortunate members of society, who need additional support in terms of housing, food, finance, health and spiritual wellbeing, he said.

The Dawoodi Bohra community does an annual welfare drive every year, and this year the theme is helping elderly people in the community by attending to their various needs and bringing joy to their lives, the spokesperson said.

 

The drive will also be carried in Mumbai, Indore, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, among other cities, he said.

"In an attempt to look after the well-being of aged members, the Dawoodi Bohra community has started a five-day drive starting November 27, where a range of social welfare activities will be undertaken for them," the official was quoted as saying in a statement.

Sadiq Jamaluddin, coordinator of the programme, said the community, under the guidance of their leader Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, strives to uphold the Prophet's directives on caring for elderly, and that the Syedna regularly counsels the community on this.

"This is in addition to fostering meaningful conversations with experts and family members in an attempt to address the problem of loneliness and provide a healthy home environment for the elderly aged 70 years and above," Jamaluddin said.

Murtaza Shakir, the Syedna's local representative in New Delhi, said senior citizens and their family members in the national capital will be taken to a park for various interactive and engaging recreational activities.

Jamaluddin further said to ensure that the elderly are well taken care of and their essential requirements are being met throughout the year, a follow-up mechanism will be put in place for each individual, where volunteers will continue to visit them and look into various aspects of their lives.

"These include proper nutrition, understanding their daily schedule, religious aspects, health and hygiene issues, leisure activities and social interactions. Their financial well-being will also be looked into," he said.