Pakistan is a demographically young country. Just 2.7 per cent of the population is over 60 years of age. Yet loneliness, extreme poverty and abandonment of the elderly is a growing problem. It has been aggravated by the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis the country is experiencing. Women - particularly widows - are the primary victims of this situation.
So the first home for the elderly was created in the district of Yohannabad, in Lahore. A large flat, nicely furnished, accessible and designed to accommodate 4-5 people opened its doors to the first two guests, Parveen and Veeda, yesterday. One of them had been living in an institution for years and had repeatedly expressed her wish for a home. The other, actually with no family, had been living alone, facing many difficulties.
The Community of Lahore warmly gathered around them, who wished to begin life in the new home with a prayer of thanksgiving, attended by many friends.
