On Saturday 15th June 2013, the Senior Citizens group at Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust (BSCT) stood together with one voice to oppose Elder Abuse. On the day when World Elder Abuse Awareness is commemorated worldwide, 200 senior citizens members of BSCT with purple ribbons tied around their wrist and several volunteers with purple badges, gathered at the Mt. Roskill War Memorial Hall, May Road, Mount Roskill, Auckland to unite and oppose the social ill of Elder Abuse.
The session commenced with a prayer asking the lord for strength and patience to fight against this & several other forms of social ills. Present at the occasion to support the cause were Member of Parliament, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Former Deputy Mayor of Auckland and Patron of the trust, Dr. Bruce Hucker, Vice Chairperson & Trustee, Roopa Suchdev, Trustee & Executive Member Roshni Chadha, PRO & Executive Member Neelam Choudhary and Community Relations Manager Vikas Yadav
The prayer was followed by celebration of birthdays of members born in the month of June & welcoming of new members to the Senior citizens group. After the morning tea, there was a presentation delivered by the Community Relations Manager of the trust, Vikas Yadav about World Elder Abuse Awareness, highlighting a few NZ statistics about Elder Abuse & Neglect obtained from Age Concern and most importantly about reasons why many cases are not reported. The Presentation also included ways & means to prevent abuse & neglect and also how one can identify signs of abuse &/or neglect.
For better understanding of the audience the presentation was delivered in English & Hindi simultaneously. Dr. Bruce Hucker also shared a few recent statistics about abuse and mentioned how BSCT has been instrumental in addressing the issue at the very grass root levels of the South Asian communities.
Adding to the presentation Member of Parliament, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi also highlighted about the strong measures put in place by the government to counter Elder abuse and neglect. The presentation was well received by the audience and appreciated the efforts of BSCT team to create awareness and address the needs of the community.
Following the information & awareness session, an entertainment session was organised by BSCT with the courtesy of Ashwin Anand, Director of AA promotions and Arif Zia & his team of talented singers. The session was filled with melodious songs from the era of 60’s to 80’s, which made many of the seniors dance to tune and express their enthusiasm. The musical session was a befitting treat for the senior citizens who are constantly at risk of isolation and get rare opportunities to socialize & enjoy themselves.
BSCT has been delivering an Elder Support Program for the South Asian communities, along with several other programs from more than 15 years and has grown from a group of 20 senior members to 800 senior members till date. The trust has been addressing various issues concerned with South Asian elders including abuse and neglect and this was yet another occasion for the trust to stand united against this social ill.