opulation is made of several generations. Also people belonging to different generations tend to be predisposed to different perspectives on matters because of the generation gap & changing socio-cultural understanding between them. We at Helpage India understand that this gap needs to be bridged so that dissimilar generations can stand together for attaining unified social progress. We believe connecting young people (children and teenagers) and seniors can be enormously beneficial in nurturing understanding across generations which invariably helps senior citizen.

World over youth today are concerned about social issues such as equality vis-à-vis inclusive culture etc. However, in order for youth to make an affirmative impact, they need to transform their viewpoints on progress and this is where many Govt & Non Govt agencies can play a crucial role. Helpage India through its years of serving the elderly, has witnessed how youth across several agencies both big & small are channelizing youth power. This ensures welfare of seniors as there lies a symbiotic relationship between youth of today & seniors of yesteryears.

Let us see how youth & the elderly folks can collaborate to make it a winwin situation for all from a global perspective. 

India - SAVE – Student Action for Value Education

In India our very own initiative called  SAVE – Student Action for Value Education is a School driven program, having three core tenets: a) Inculcating values of care & respect to help elderly, b) preparing today’s children &youth for their old age and c) creating Home support for the elderly.

Helpage India believes by creating a narrative for helping the aged during school assemblies and various activities, makes a strong & lasting impact on the students.This allows the campaigns being run to make students understand elder view points and life after 60.It has been our experience how several adults today look up to the fond memories, of their participation in such programs when they were in school doing their bit for society.

SAVE program is now made available to young college going and working adult, through the HUG program, HUG stands for Help Unite Generations that aims to create empathy among young adults towards the older generation.

U.K - YUNGSTAGED: Motivating Young People to Care of the Elderly

The notion of the Elderly being “Adopted” by the younger lot comes as a stepping stone for personal growth &development. In fact this isconsidered to be a novel way to assist the senior community. The perks of this proven program is what gets exemplified in U.K’s- YUNGSTAGED program. Yungstaged objective is to make it reassuring to all in the society that young people can be motivated to care for the elderly by valuing and empowering themselves. The program teaches young people how to be effective as regards their own personal development and in turn how it benefits the largersociety in specific areas such as working with the Elderly. Therefore the main approach of YUNGSTAGED program consists of making visits and exchanges involving the senior community, which in essence motivates young people to play a key role as volunteers.

France - Intergenerational living 

The French are very proud of their art & culture plus their social ethos is what makes France the epitome of Europe. No wonder the french give importance to Intergenerational living that cuts across generations.

There exist two main types of intergenerational home-sharing practicesin France. The first type is when a young person is accommodated as a P.G by a senior at below-market rate. In this case the young person is not officially bound to spend time with their senior, even then as a measure of goodwill the young P.G takes care of the senior as & when the situation demands. The second case is when a young person is accommodated, as a P.G at a senior’s home for free in exchange for a predetermined number of hours of help and companionship. The above intergenerational home-sharing practices in France, is beneficial to both the youth & the elderly folks. It gives P.Gs an access to traditional budget housing which otherwise would not be possible. Reports suggest over  half of the senior citizens were happy having a young person,as their P.G as it allowed them to feel more relevant &important even during the twilight years of their life.

Germany- Salzgitter model

In Germany, the Salzgitter model unlike the French intergenerational home-sharing practice, has adopted a multi-generation living practise with funding for many centres.

The monetary support is part of the German government’s demography policy, which includes almost all administrative districts having their own such houses. Germany’s intergenerational home-sharing practice seems to be a successful one.

Its community living accommodations are viewed as important encompassing a modern welfare state. The

Salzgitter model

is supported by existing institutional help being pooled with a more actively engaged society.Experts say that multi-generation houses are the model for the future, since It acts as a catalyst for learning from one another, feeling cared for,sharing happiness - A real recipe for happiness! 

Japan - Getting the Generations together

Rd.Yoshinori Fujiwara heads the Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health at the Tokyo Institute of Gerontology.

According to Fujiwara, research suggests that intergenerational exchange can help the elderly ,to easily create interpersonal relations and develop greater social synergy within their communities, along with the “win-win” result of bridging the generation gap.

One successful example is the NPO REPRINTS Network , introduced in designated areas in Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture, is quite the place where senior volunteers pay a visit to the kindergartens and elementary schools and spend time with children. 

Japanese social scientists strongly believe in the concept of ‘sharing’, as it can curtail the distance between people & bridge the gap between the elderly and the younger generation. So it is not any surprise that many co-living places have mushroomed in Japan, where people of different age groups live together, sharing common resources and eventually become a second family to each other.

South Korea- Changing Attitudes toward Elder Care

South Korea's hallmark approach is to coach young people to empathize with the elderly, as that in turn prepares the individual for his/her own life. City community centres like the Seongnam Senior Complex in Seoul's southern suburbs encourage students who participate in role plays. In such events students enact the role of a bed bound senior who is lifted from his bed into a chair using a pulley and sling.

Such workshops instigate some students to reassess how they treat their elders. In fact it simply makes them realize as to how vulnerable it is to grow old.

Brazil – Community church  showing the way to children offering support  to the Elderly

Across Brazil, various city based community churches have been instrumental in sensitizing the young about the plight of the elderly.The church involves parents of young teenagers in repairing homes and providing haircuts, manicures, and other grooming for the elderly. Other activities like choir performances, plays, and dances are also part of making the elderly community feel included &important.

Events like “Little Helping Hands Who Help the Elderly,” are organized by the church going community in an effort to teach children and youth, the importance of service towards helping elders so as to make them feel cared for.

U.S.A -Teens Helping Seniors

America has a lot many programs such as the one we are talking about here. This program gives meaningful opportunity for teens to volunteer and help their senior community.  Volunteering for this group comprises of picking up and delivering groceriesetcto senior citizens in need.

Teens Helping Seniors is a national non-profit organization & is dedicated, to serving the elderly community specially during these challenging times the world is going through. The organization was set up by two high school students looking for ways, to support their local neighbour hood seniors through safe, contactless delivery of groceries with no service fee.

Canada - Build Stronger Communities

TIGP works for the development of Intergenerational Clubs and Communities within secondary schools which create opportunities for youth to connect with seniors in their communities. 

Benefits to seniors:

Improved life satisfaction,  Enhanced self esteem, On-going skills development, Feelings of perpetual usefulness and connectedness in the community, An opportunity to meet other caring and gifted seniors, An opportunity to develop meaningful relations with children and youth that extend beyond family and acquaintances

Australia - TOY model!

Aurora Early Education being a group of primary schools imparts intergenerational learning called TOY- ‘Together Old & Young’. The T.O.Y Programme advocates interaction between seniors and young children to further augment their learning. The program was also implemented by schools in Italy, Slovenia, Ireland, Poland and Portugal. The project focuses on influencing very young children to interact with the elderly community who could benefit from intellectual and social development. The T.O.Y project found that intergenerational relationships improved overall wellbeing for the elderly by defeating depression& that encouragedothers to participate.       

Africa - Let's grow South Africa together

South African Government’s  National Department of Social Development, under the leadership of the then Deputy Minister for Social Development, Ms. Jean Benjamin Swanson, nominated the Sonskyn Service Centre, in Calvinia, to implement  a pilot  project that would support departmental inter-generational programmes, as part of the enactment of the Older Persons Act no 13 of 2006.

Program Benefits for Older Persons are:

Enhances Socialisation: Older persons remain productive, useful, and contributing members of society.

To increase interaction with youth and engage more with one another to prevent isolation in later years.

Encourages Learning: Older persons learn new innovations and technologies from their younger counterparts.

As one community  the older persons and youth of Calvinia will make poverty a thing of the past.

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