Know How Synergy Is Helping Senior Citizens to Age Gracefully and Live Meaningfully

Man is a social being and therefore many feel lonely and confined to their homes after retirement or when their children grow up and move away. To counter such a situation one usually hears of senior citizen groups where the elders come together and share their joys and sorrows and age gracefully by doing meaningful activities. One such impactful group is Synergy in Kottayam, Kerala where senior citizens not only come together to enjoy, sing, dance and laugh but also to achieve their dreams. It is a group where elders from different socio-economic backgrounds meet on the second Tuesday of every month and help each other grow and live gracefully. Many individuals have been able to achieve their dreams through Synergy. 60-year-old Lathika Divakaran cherished a dream of obtaining a tenth pass certificate. She fulfilled her dream last year with the help and encouragement of her friends at Synergy. Now, she hopes to clear Class XII exams. Sisiliamma Sebastian who is all of 80 years could hardly believe she has achieved her dream as she published two novels, again with the help of Synergy. There are dance classes for those who wish to learn to dance. Other activities include singing and acting. There is also a reader’s forum where elders discuss authors and the books they have read. There is also a library where they can experience the joys of reading. The senior citizens also run a publication where articles, poems, essays and stories contributed by members are published. The group also conducts trips to places across India. On a recent trip to Dhanushkodi, 80-year-old Aminiamma also participated and was able to fulfill her wish to visit Rameshwaram. Synergy now intends to open an academy that trains underprivileged children and help them with their education. One can take inspiration from the happy senior citizens for whom living happily, healthily and peacefully at any age is better than getting younger.