By Manat Kaur
When Inderpreet visited a senior living home in Punjab, India, he was surprised at the isolating conditions. Elders are sometimes abandoned by their families and sent to live in old age homes which cannot meet their basic needs. Moreover, they struggled with emotional trauma.
Realizing he needed to do something, Inderpreet, an Ashoka Youth Venturer, started the Grey Shades organization to help bring joy and a strong sense of community to people living in Punjab’s senior homes.
Ashoka Young Changemaker Manat Kaur spoke with Inderpreet about how young people are working alongside elders to build a fuller life for everyone.
MK: Tell us about your project.
Inderpreet: Grey Shades is a youth-led nonprofit working to promote the wellbeing of senior citizens. Our program “Grey Shades Fellowship” is a 100-day experiential learning program which provides a space to help encourage senior citizens’ confidence and self-esteem. The fellows attend classes four days a week, focusing on topics such as self-reflection, awareness, and unlearning negative behaviors. Fellows participate in activities like yoga, dance and singing, which helps give a mood boost.
During COVID-19, Grey Shades has helped with providing essential supplies such as food and medicine, along with free tele-counseling for fellows.
When did you first realize you had to take action, and how did you come up with your idea?
While in university, I was actively involved in social and civic issues. One day, I visited an old age home, where I met an older couple who had been abandoned by their children. While their basic needs were fulfilled, they carried a lot of unresolved emotional tension. The old age homes are isolating spaces. They reminded me of prisons.
I felt restless. I didn’t know what could be done at that time. But I visited again and again. I encountered hundreds of people and each of them had a story.I created a survey form and tried to gather as much information as possible, engaging 143 senior citizens based out of 9 old age homes in Amritsar.I just wanted to add some joy to their life.
What was your first step?
I asked one old age home to allow me to visit and spend time with the senior citizens. There were twelve elders. I started engaging with them through gardening, creating a space to do something meaningful. Initially, very few showed interest. But it began to grow a sense of community among them. That initiated conversation among the group.
How did you start implementing your idea?
It turned out to be an evolutionary process for me. The first year was all about learning. I tried to figure out what seniors are going through and what I could do to help. I saw that even though they all came from different parts of the country, they carried similar emotional baggage with them.
Later, I realized it is important for me to learn and build my own skill set to take this work ahead. I decided to further study and in the meantime registered the organisation so I could come back and resume the work.
I enrolled in a development leadership and management program by Indian School of Development Management. There I was always thinking about senior citizens and the organisation. I was fortunate enough to meet my co-founder Wyonna D’souza there. After the course, we chose to work for senior citizens and build the organization.
Grey Shades fellows after performing a street play about the struggles of senior citizens.
What obstacles did you face and how have you overcome them?
One of the major challenges was the mindset of the people working to help those who are elderly. The work that was happening was not designed with the needs of elders at the center. We are thinking beyond to try to bring dignity and quality of life.
Our problems are growing, changing and evolving and so our solution must too. We are young people trying to bring change in society. At the start, people did not trust us. But now, as we are able to demonstrate our narrative of change, the community is accepting and trusting us. Currently, our major issue is funding. India is a young country and this overshadows the needs of our elders.
Who else supported you throughout your journey? What role did they play?
I have been supported by many people on this journey. I am very grateful for that. My university professor enabled me to learn in my own way. My friends offered their time and advice, helping me build a vision. I am grateful for the exposure that came my way. I am lucky to have support from Wyonna, co-founder of Grey Shades, to share the burden of this journey. This is not the story of a single person but rather of all the people who believed in this idea. When I reflect back, it’s possible only because of other people.
What advice would you give to other young people who want to make a difference but don’t know where to begin?
Empathize! It’s extremely important to recognise our feelings and our sensitivity towards things which affect us. Society teaches us to be practical, but I would urge everyone to be sensitive and feel the wave of emotion. It makes you more strong and humane. This is how you empathize with others. And most importantly, you need to believe in yourself before others start to believe in you.
Learn more about Grey Shades here.
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This article has been edited for length and clarity.
The First Steps series, founded by Ashoka Young Changemaker Manat Kaur, aims to demystify changemaking and show how anyone can start making a change. Follow Ashoka to learn more about #EveryoneAChangemaker and #LeadYoung.