Getting out and about tops agenda
PARRY Ramsunder has been a part of Kampara Senior Citizens from 2017, since the group’s inception.
The 71-year-old widower of Clare Estate said the club had become a social gathering he looked forward to.
“It’s great to come together with like-minded people to talk and bond. So many of us have become friends and have our own outings outside of the club.”
He said the club was a breakaway from the Clare Estate Senior Citizens Association and it was managed by the Serving with Love Foundation (SWLF).
Their founder is Aroon Edward and it is run by the club’s CEO Nishana Harichund, the secretary Reneesha Harichund and Ramsunder’s daughter, the secretary of SWLF, Alesha Ramsunder.
“We branched off from the association and so far have about 120 members. We come together twice a month. We meet on the second Wednesday of the month and we go on an outing the following week.”
Ramsunder said the club not only served as a social platform but also helped the sick. “We constantly check on members who are not in good health. We have a WhatsApp group where we communicate and see if everyone is okay. It is also a platform to provide updates regarding club news. In addition, we give out food hampers to needy families and bread daily to mostly seniors and widows.”
He said members paid R50 a month. Their meetings are held at the Kampara Conference Centre in Clare Estate.
“For the fee you get a big breakfast, lunch as well as tea. It's a full meal from the morning until about 2pm. We cater for veg and non-veg eaters.”
Ramsunder said the next planned outing was to Cape Town.
“A few weeks ago, we took two buses to the Wild Coast. One bus was for our seniors and the other was for members of the public. We’ve also been on the MSC ship cruise and we’ve been to the Drakensberg quite a few times.”
Alesha added: “We try to make special days like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day memorable for our seniors as they are sometimes forgotten about. We also celebrate their birthdays. For some it’s the first time they are being celebrated and they become emotional about it.
“We have an outing once a month. In February, we were on the MSC
Orchestra. In March, we went to the Wild Coast. In May, we are going to Cape Town. Our next gathering is on April 12.”
Alesha encouraged other seniors to join. “If you are a senior citizen, please join us or any club around your area. It makes a big difference in your life when you realise you are not the only one going through certain traumas. Come and join like-minded people and share your experiences.
“You are all mentors to me and younger adults in some way, but the most important thing you all teach us is to be grateful for, and make the most of every day. I have always enjoyed being around older adults, therefore I’ve joined the management team.”