Study tour to elder's home

by R.A. Nimal RANATUNGA

The students of Kingston International school Colombo 15 were engaged in a Study Tour by visiting the Elder's Home of Compassion at Mattakkuliya. Similarly the students of Princess of Wales Moratuwa too visited Janadhara Elder's Home at Moratuwa for this study.

This special activity was organised by the Education Division of HelpAge Sri Lanka.

The high magnitude of enthusiasm and commitment of the students and the teachers vividly reveal that this is a charming and a tangible exercise which directs them to develop a predilection to support and extend caring for desperate destitute, marginalized and needy Elders.

The students mingled with the Elders in an unprecedented spirit of companionship and compassion.

The students naturally appeared to be highly affectionate towards the Elders with a high sense of respect and paying the highest tribute to them. The Elders who were anguished and immersed in desolation by being away from their loved ones were overjoyed by seeing the lovely and pleasant children. The girls beaming with smiles had an animate conversation the Elders offering them various gifts. This strange encounter caused the Elders to retrospect their past life will reminiscences of pleasant days they spent with their own children and grand children.

Some girls were highly exhilarated by talking to few female Elders lying on the beds. The young girls were highly curious to ascertain the reason why they are confined to the Home for Elders, leaving their own home. Though those Elders adduced various reasons for them to leave their own abode and to be in the Elder's Home, they never blamed their sons and daughters and spoke ill of them being vengeful towards them.

The vigilant students felt that some of these resourceful Elders who are at present advanced in age and reached the stage of senility are being mercilessly sent to Elder's Homes by their sons and daughters.

One Elder who was gifted with a resonant sweet voice was highly anxious to display his amiable skill, started singing an extremely popular and a common song. The students too were distracted towards his glamour and they too joined him singing melodious songs. It was a resounding musical hour for everybody present at the place.

A male Elder who was elegant and conveying the idea of a bold Sri Lankan was conspicuous among others. He was surrounded by the children. He was so delighted and immediately started telling an interesting story to be heard by them. The children paying their emphatic attention and the stupendous response made an earnest request for another story.