AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 6 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 153 of 332 6 My Days with Elders of Old Age Home Mrs Lalitha Mohandas Genre: Social Service s a child when we came down south from various places father was posted at, we spent quality time with both maternal and paternal grandparents. We had grand aunts and uncles too in the family and I loved spending as much time with them as I did with my peer group. I used to volunteer to accompany them to the temples or market to shop for vegetables & grocery. Over a period of time I got attuned to their needs & daily requirements also. When we settled down in Selaiyur, Chennai, after the retirement of my husband from the Air Force, I surveyed the area, on my two wheeler, daily stepping out in different directions. I came across a home for elderly women close to Padmavathy Nagar. Actually it was a three bed room house, taken by the NGO- Kalaiselvi Karunalaya Social Welfare Society, Mogappair. Fifteen Pattis lived there –in what seemed to me, quite cramped, with a resident warden, cook and helper. I started initially visiting them twice a week, later up to four times a week. Much later they moved to present location-close to Bharath University. A thought came to my mind often that I must make the sunset of their lives very memorable and comfortable. From then on, I strove to achieve my goal and with God’s blessings, that of my parents, guidance & unstinting support of my husband, family and good wishes of friends, I have been able to provide, over the past two decades, many amenities to them. It’s in fact a home away from home for the Elders. In due course of time, Er. Rajanikanth Old Age Home came under the aegis of AFWWA (L), Air Force Station Tambaram. What a strengthening of my hands! At least thrice a year, the President of AFWWA (L) and other committee members visit the home with a truck load of rations – rice, atta, variety of dals, oils, maltova, coffee, tea etc, besides fresh fruits and snacks. It is indeed an “outreach program” to help the poor and the needy in the vicinity. A