Committee Reports: Ananda Yaan & Elder Care 2020-2021

Director-in-charge: Rtn. Ajit Lalvani

Chair: Rtn. Madhusudan Daga

Co-Chair: Rtn. Vrinda Rajgarhia

Members: PP Ramesh Narayan, Rtn. Alok Sekhsaria, Rtn. Charu Agrawal, Rtn. Ptn. Devi Narayan, Rtn. Ptn. Ekta Shah, Ms Rashmi Bapna.

Ananda Yaan spent most of the year in lockdown. We were unable to have in-person meetings for our members except for a brief interlude of two months when the cases were down. The elders enthusiastically transitioned to technology and many of them joined in for Zoom meetings for sessions on meditation, yoga and Zumba to help with their mental and physical well-being during lockdown. We also did fun virtual events like a variety entertainment programme to celebrate the third birthday of AY, singing shows, storytelling and even a cookery demonstration.

At the height of the lockdown, we distributed food rations to our members. We also gave all our members sanitizers, masks and steam inhaling machines to help them deal with the pandemic.

As soon as we could, due to popular demand from our members, we had in-person meetings in batches observing the norms of physical distancing. We organised fun activities and took them for a picnic to Alibaug and to see a movie. The Rotaractors enthusiastically supported us in celebrating all the festivals with them whether virtually or in person. Our members were equally generous and many of them did Ananda Seva to organise fun events for the elders.
After the fun and games we also needed to ensure that they were doing well medically and hence organised an eye camp and also took some of them to Cotton Green Clinic for a health check-up.

Ananda Yaan has proved to be a ray of hope in the lives of our elders amidst all the gloom of doom of the dreaded Covid pandemic.