First Leisure Center for Senior Citizens | KMC. Image Source: videoblocks

First Leisure Center for Senior Citizens | KMC

Bidhya Sundar, mayor of Kathmandu, inaugurated the city’s first leisure center for senior citizens at Bhurungkhel in Ward 18 on 9th of June (Saturday). The leisure center for senior citizens will serve as a geriatric oasis where they can pursue different hobbies, play, and make friends.

“This is our first step towards providing a better life for senior citizens. We plan to set up a similar facility in all wards of Kathmandu,” Mayor Shakya said. The move has gained accolades of Bhurungkhel locals, the old age people in particular. “This is a welcome move. We elderly people need a place like this where we can meet people of our age, make friends and share our stories. They should build a center like this all over the country,” said Maha Prasad Parajuli, Chairperson Agraj Samaj Nepal, a society of senior citizens.

The ward office has spent NPR. 200,000 to equip the leisure center with various equipment to make the place enjoyable and comfortable for its regulars. Nuchhe Kaji Maharjan, the ward chairman, said more items will be added to the leisure center for senior citizens in the coming days.

“Our aim is to make this center a happy place for our senior citizens, a place where they can play, sing and read. We will soon add popular board and table games, like chess and carom, and TV sets” he said. The center already has traditional musical instruments such as harmonium, flute, Madal, and Tabala.

Balkrishna Maharjan, a 65-year-old musician, believes that music has healing power and he wishes to form a musical act by assembling a group of elderly persons like him who are expected to visit the center. “I am extremely pleased by what the ward office has done here. We can now perform Bhajans (religious songs) and partake in other leisurely activities. It will be great fun,” he said.

There are around 700 senior citizens in the ward. The ward office is also planning to issue old age identity cards to those people who are above 65 years of age. Maharjan said the office had already issued old age identity cards to around 600 people in the ward.

 

Reference: Kathmandu Post