Local senior citizens treated a breakfast
The organisation has catered for 57 elderly people in the area and has lost some of their members due to Covid-19.
Sanini Elderly Day Care members received breakfast spoils from the Pelican Light Foundation at Rena Le Lona Centre for Children on April 20.
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With an aim of advocating for elderly people in Ward 26, the founder and chairperson of Sanini Elderly Day Care, Rina Mia known as Gogo Mia established Sanini Elderly Day Care in 2014 after she retired from work and registered it with the Department of Social Development in 2018.
With the motivation from her children, gogo Mia was able to keep the organisation active and attract more elderly people in the area.
Since its establishment, the organisation has catered for 57 elderly people in the area and has lost some of their members due to Covid-19.
Gogo Mia said they gather during the week starting with their morning prayer followed by developmental skills such as gardening, sewing and gym sessions to help them keep fit.
“Since some of our members passed away, we are now 49 and we encourage one another to live a healthy lifestyle.
“We also have counselling for our members because we understand that elderly people carry heavy family problems on their shoulders and with our health being so fragile, we always try to minimise stress by engaging with them daily and giving them assurance that they are not alone in this journey of being a senior citizen,” Gogo Mia said.
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Due to lack of sponsorship, the members of Sanini Elderly Day Care are left with less choice but to pop up money to help prepare meals during their stay at the organisation throughout the day.
“We understand that some of our members struggle to make ends meet due being at an age of pension and unfortunately we need meals to drink our chronic medication so popping out money is the only option we have until we receive help from sponsors.”
Gogo Mia added that the meals they prepare consist of a balanced diet to help the elderly keep healthy and active.
Sanini Elderly Day Care calls on other elderly people in the community to join them so that they can avoid been cooped up in their homes.
“Things are always better when we do them together. This is why we are calling on other gogos to come to us, with a joining fee of R100 they can be members of Sanini Elderly Day Care so that we help each other with the hurdles that we face.”
Co-founder of Pelican Light Foundation, Daniel Boshomane said with the help of sponsors like Pick ‘n Pay, thus far they have assist 16 879 families in Soweto and the surrounding areas with clothes and food since the establishment of their organisation 15 months ago.
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“Our hearts are really into elderly people because they are usually forgotten. Some of them are abused by their own families. We are humbled to have the opportunity to serve them because they are the ones who have carried the households that we live in and we are where we are today because of them,” Boshomane said.
Pelican Light Foundation has now broadened their horizons into also helping drug and substance abuse addicts to get into rehab and helping them get employment when they return to society.
“So far we have helped four boys get their lives back on track and we will continue working with the residents until we see changes and for being able to help the community we are very grateful,” Boshomane said.
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