Pictured are some of the town’s elderly, volunteers, and members of the Louis Trichardt CMR during the local Older Persons Day celebrations on 22 October. Photo supplied.
News Date: 31 October 2024
Social Welfare
The CMR Louis Trichardt Centre of Hope held its annual celebration for senior citizens on Tuesday, 22 October, at the Louis Trichardt AFM Church, coinciding with International Older Persons Day, celebrated on 1 October.
Originating in Europe and later spreading to America, International Older Persons Day gained popularity worldwide in the late 1990s. On 14 December 1990, the UN General Assembly declared 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons, which was first celebrated on that day in 1991, to address issues affecting older people’s lives.
In South Africa, an Act was enacted to guide social workers in supporting the elderly, known as the Older Persons Act, Act 13 of 2006. The Act focuses on empowering and protecting older persons, promoting and maintaining their status, rights, well-being, safety, and security, while addressing related matters.
The CMR Louis Trichardt office assists the elderly with issues reported by community members, including cases of abuse related to the misuse of older persons' grants, securing shelter, providing support in caring for grandchildren, arranging transport for medical care, assisting with older persons' grant applications through the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), and mediating family discussions.
Twenty-three elderly individuals from the Louis Trichardt and Buysdorp communities attended the celebration. The day was filled with joy as the elderly eagerly participated in the programme’s activities. They shared life experiences, and the adult volunteers who helped with preparations reported learning a great deal from their interactions with the elderly. When asked to share their experiences of the day, the elderly said they felt energised, joyful, excited, happy, and appreciated, expressing a desire to engage more often. They were grateful and expressed deep appreciation for the focus on them.
"We are so thankful to our sponsors Dodrie Corbett (NHC), Sasha Schneider (Super Fruit), Bernadette Duvenhage, Connie De Sousa (C Jay’s Salon), and Tanya Lindhorst (The Hair & Beauty Studio), as well as our volunteers and the AFM Church Council for the use of their hall. With your generous donations, we were able to provide a wonderful event for the elderly," said Chantel Steyn, the social worker at CMR Louis Trichardt.
For more on how the local CMR can assist, phone at Tel (082) 644-9296.
