HELPAGE ANNUAL ELDERS WALK TODAY IN NUWARA ELIYA

The Annual Elders Walk, conducted by Helpage Sri Lanka (HASL) jointly with Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat and Berendina Development Services (BDS) will be held in Nuwara Eliya today (Friday, October 05) at 9.00 a.m. More than 1,000 elders aged from 60 to 90 will participate in the walk.

The Elders Walk procession will leave opposite the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat with the participation of HASL Executive Director Samantha Liyanawaduge, Nuwara Eliya District Secretary M.B.R. Pushpakumara and BDS Chairman Anura Atapaththu, General Manager Dayantha Fernando and Director Jagath Godakanda.

Helpage is a leading social welfare organization working for Senior Citizens of Sri Lanka. It provides free cataract surgeries and other medical services for needy elders free of charge. HASL Chairman, Deshabandu Tilak de Zoysa said ageing is a challenge in today’s world and celebrating the `International Day of Older Persons’ is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people made to the society. Executive Director Samantha Liyanawaduge said the objective of conducting the Walk is to raise awareness on the issues of elders and demanding their rights and entitlements for them to live with dignity.

He said 99 per cent Sri Lankan elders living within their families and one percent receiving the institutional care in Elders Homes. “We always encourage youngsters to extend the necessary care and keep their elders with them without sending them to Elders Homes”, he said. Elders also will take part in entertaining programmes at Cultural Hall, Nuwara-eliya after the walk.