MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNER - Eisha Yadav

Eisha Yadav, Grade 7
Redwood City, California

Let age wrinkle the skin, not the spirit. At 90, and until he succumbed to COVID-19, my fiercely independent grandpa lived by himself in his hometown in India. Earlier, when my grandma was alive and needed medical attention, they lived in a different Indian city. I could not help but notice, in both cases, how lonely and bored they felt, and how unprepared and lacking Indian society was to support the lifestyles of the elderly.

I am committed to solve the issues of loneliness, hopelessness, helplessness resulting from the weakening physical strength of our elderly and to create opportunities that restore their dignity, build trust and help them to enjoy the sunset phase of their life. With the support of the non-profit that I work with, I will get a head start to execute on my mission.

Society has evolved but ignored the needs of the large elderly population.

According to the 2011 census, 8.6% of the population or 103 million people are 60 and above. Based on a recent study, it is predicted that this population, growing at 3%, will triple to 309 million by 2050.

Indian society has evolved from joint to nuclear families. With higher education, and bridging gender divides there is a marked migration of young people to bigger towns, and in cases like my parents, to outside of India. The daughters or daughters-in-law of the household - primarily responsible for taking care of the elderly - have stepped out of the house to work, heralding a slow but significant shift in societal development. While these are great achievements for the nation, it has ignored the impact these changes will have on the growing elderly population. This becomes even more critical when we account for the increased longevity. As a contrast, with these changes, our society quickly evolved to ensure there is better care of the children. There are childcare centers, summer camps, play areas specially designed for the children. However, when it comes to elderly, we stop at providing medical care. Why? At old age, is access to doctors and medical facilities their only need? How can we ignore the needs of the population that helped raise us and leave them as drying leaves in our backyards?

Let us bring joy and well-being to our elderly. The quality and outlook towards life improves significantly when there is social interaction, a sense of belonging, and something to look forward to. In the US, I have seen every city have an adult service and recreation center where they offer organized activities designed specifically for the elderly. My paternal grandpa is retired from the Indian Army, and I have seen them having similar community centers. My plan is to work with local establishments in India, one city at a time, and launch programs that mimic the US and Army community centers for elderly. Each city will have a community center run by a mix of volunteers and local champions. From creating awareness, providing end-to-end logistics like charter buses to pick and drop, and crafting specialized programs mapped to the social-emotional needs of the elderly, this program will ensure the elderly population lives with joy, dignity, and high spirits till their very end. Whether they are alone in their hometowns, or migrated with their children, they will always have a safe community where they can continue to grow - gracefully.

Ignoring the well-being of the 103 million population of India is no less a humanitarian crisis. Just as the children, the grandparents of the society deserve to have a better, rest of their life.