Hundreds of people, including Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis, gathered at Ikamva Labantu in Khayelitsha yesterday (1 October) to celebrate the International Day for Older Persons.
The International Day of Older People was declared by the United Nations in 1990 as a way of highlighting not only the immense contributions of older people to society, but also to raise awareness of their plight and challen-
ges.
Lulama Sigasana, the project manager of Ikamva, described the event as dedicated to the senior citizens.
She confessed that she has a soft spot for the seniors.
With over 60 years of service and working with people in the townships, Ikamva Labantu supports and empowers seniors in township communities.
“Almost all our staff live in the communities we serve. This gives us unique insight and expertise into our community’s needs.
“We nurture our two most vulnerable groups (oldest and youngest) through our three core programmes which is early childhood development, child- youth and parenting, and older persons,” explained Sigasana.
The organisation has professional nurses who include physiotherapists and occupational therapists to look after the older persons.
Hill-Lewis described elders as pillars of the communities.
“Our older people play a vital role in their families and their broader communities. Very often, they are the mainstay of the family, raising grandchildren and looking after not only the physical, but also the emotional well-being of several generations. And in our poorer communities, these older people often have to do so with very few resources, relying on tiny pensions to cover as many costs as possible,” said Hill-Lewis.
He described Ikamva Labantu as a home to many people. He said it is open to everyone.
“There are so many areas in which older people in townships require assistance, from physical needs such as meals, healthcare screenings and frail care to emotional and psychological needs like companionship and belonging. Ikamva Labantu answers all these needs, and more. At a care club like this, the elders will not only receive warm meals in a safe and dignified setting, but they will also get to spend their time in the company of others,” he explained.
The founder of the organisation, Helen Lieberman, said it felt great to see seniors gathered under one roof and happy.
She stated that it wasn’t easy when she started the organisation, but with the assistance of board members and other community members they managed to pull through.
Lieberman wished her peers to have fun and enjoy the day.
One of the senior citizens, Nolwandle Magingqika (76), described the day as special for them. She said as old people they have a burden to keep the families united.
“We can’t relax. It is us who are making sure that our grandchildren have eaten or bathed because their parents are nowhere to be found.
“We were supposed to enjoy ourselves by now, but we are the ones who are taking care of the family,” she said.
However, she expressed gratitude to Ikamva Labantu for making the event happen for them.
