Ay Rocks The Stage!
DIGNITY Foundation celebrated its 24th Annual Day on November 5th, at the Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi. All the Dignity Foundation Chai Masti centres, Day Care centres and Ananda Yaan centres (the last being a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Bombay and Dignity Foundation) participated in the Annual Day event.
The programme commenced with a performance by Sur- Bahar who are doctors by day and musicians by night. They played a string of old Hindi melodies which is always popular with senior citizens. This hour-long performance was followed by an eagerly awaited event – the enactment of short skits by each centre. The topic of the plays had been given to each centre but the concept, script and direction was done by the senior citizens themselves. The Ananda Yaan Byculla centre put up a hilarious play about the different reactions and odd behaviour of a group of senior citizens who meet
for a reunion after 30 years.
The play by the Dr. E. Moses centre was on a more serious note of Beti Bachao-Beti Padao. It was delightful to see all the hard work and enthusiasm put in by the members even at this age. While some were reliving school-day performances, others had not had such opportunities ever.
The Annual Day is also an occasion to felicitate people who have selflessly contributed to the Ananda Yaan centres. Thus, Roma Mehta and Rajiv Bhatt were felicitated by Dignity Foundation for Bhagwad Gita and Yoga sessions conducted by them, respectively. Rtn. Pranay Vakil gave awards the ceremony; he is also a trustee with Dignity Foundation. Geeta Tholat and Undha Dhabekar, senior citizens of the Byculla centre, received awards too for volunteering throughout the year to ensure the smooth running of the centre.
The Dr. E. Moses centre, which had completed a year, Sandhya Kamble and Anna Bhosle were awarded; without their community intervention, the centre would have not started.
It was a joyous affair – there was bonding and a sense of accomplishment and selfesteem, which are important for senior citizens.
