ANNUAL REPORT - Dignity Foundation · The year 2012-2013 was a year of consolidation for Dignity...
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ANNUAL REPORT April 2012 - March 2013
Transcript of ANNUAL REPORT - Dignity Foundation · The year 2012-2013 was a year of consolidation for Dignity...
ANNUAL REPORT April 2012 - March 2013
Introduction 1
Founder President's Note 2...3
COO's Note 4...5
The Helpline Programme 13
The Membership Programme 15
The Dementia Day Care Centre 24
The Ration Programme 25
Govt. of Maharashtra and
Govt. of Karnataka Senior Citizen ID Cards 26
Events 26...27
Dignty Lifestyle Retirement Township 28
Corporate Engagements 29
Our Supporters 31...32
Board of Trustees 33
Advisory Council 34
Credibility Alliance Norms Compliance Report 35...36
Financial Report 37...45
Contents
“It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good,
both for oneself and others.” ― Dalai Lama XIV
Crime against senior citizens has been rising steadily. Senior citizens have become easy
targets, especially the ones who live alone and are isolated. Emergence of nuclear
families has exposed senior citizens to emotional, physical and financial insecurity.
There is deep sense of loneliness once a person retires and when their children move
out. Add to this the increasing cost of healthcare and the unaffordable real estate which
leads to intergenerational discord and in many cases elder abuse.
India already has 100 million senior citizens and is projected to have over 324 million
senior citizens by 2050 – which is more than the population of USA. As a developing
country, India has very little social security in place for senior citizens. Pension coverage
is as low as 11% of the entire workforce. About 65% of the aged in India depend on
others for their day-to-day maintenance. Increasing crime, neglect, loneliness, elder
abuse and mental health problems of elders are some of the key challenges of ageing.
Dignity Foundation has been working for senior citizens for over 18 years and has
evolved various programmes to counter these problems faced by senior citizens.
Dignity foundation exists to help senior citizens deal with their
insecurities and loneliness and to bring joy to their lives.
Our biggest source of inspiration is the joy we see in the faces of senior citizens whose
lives we touch. This annual report is a tribute to the spirit of senior citizens who we
lovingly call Dignitarians – people who are an embodiment of the never say die spirit
and show us what it means to “love unconditionally” and “live spiritedly”.
Introduction
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Founder President's Note Anyone undertaking an activity for as long as 18 years could automatically get it
ingrained in the body system as a DNA gene! So it has been with me: breathing
Dignity 24x7 all 365 the past 18 was giving me a type of proprietary rights to even
a charitable item as the mission! If the identified mission was changing the way people look
at ageing in India, I fully exercised the freedom I had to create, innovate and implement
what I thought will be ways of celebrating the advancing years. Simultaneously, we were
supporting along the way, all such people who had obstacles laid on their path for such an
enjoyment. Maybe what I did was, in hindsight, planting sociological principles into social
work practice among the older persons. Simply put, I acquired guidelines from Gerontology
and Geriatry to put easy systems of action for people 50+ to follow.
The resultant impact was that although some are weary and discontented, most senior
citizens leaned on the Foundation to attach deeper significance to life and reap great
benefits from family and friendship bonds, leisure activities, and community involvement.
Mastering, in a sense, the psychological well-being associated with achieving one's ego
integrity in late adulthood – that is, coming to terms with what life had to dish out. Adults
who arrived at a sense of such integrity feel whole, complete, and satisfied with their
achievements. They have adapted to inevitable triumphs and disappointments and realise
that the paths they followed, or abandoned, or never selected were necessary for
fashioning a meaningful life course.
While all such qualitative wholesomeness was being attempted in Dignity Foundation's
delivery of services, during the year, one raging controversy personally devoured all my
time and thought: Should social entrepreneurs adopt the language and practices of
business?
“Yes, if they want to take their ideas to scale. That's where business excels” said some
thinkers.
“The business world offers readymade mechanisms for turning good ideas into large scale
enterprises. Social entrepreneurs who really want to change the world should take
advantage of those mechanisms” voiced some advisors.
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Sheilu SreenivasanFounder President
“No. Passion and commitment can accomplish much more than any business plan” said
social activist Bunker Roy, and resonating this thought is my co-Trustee Ujwal Thakkar.
The nature of business is to impose change from above. I believe addressing difficult social
problems requires the kind of change that bubbles up from below, from the community
itself.
Peter Buffett (son of Warren Buffet, world's greatest philanthropist) concluded in an article
on 'The Charitable-Industrial Complex' (New York Times July 26, 2013) that many funders of
the rapidly growing nonprofit sector condition their support on the application of business
principles — like investing where the return on investment is highest. In India, what we see
is that more business-minded, free floating advisors from our management schools are
entering the philanthropic space, and business principles are trumpeted as an important
element to add to the philanthropic sector. I was numbed into disbelief when one such
advisor asked me: “what's the R.O.I.? (return on investment)” when I was discussing
Dignity Helpline and my social workers spending time on attending to calls of distress on the
Helpline – as if return on investment were the only measure of success!
It is worth remembering that a good many funders still pay little or no attention to what
their donations actually accomplish as they pass through the hands of not-for-profit
organisations like ours. For this reason you will find in the foregoing pages, beneficiaries
talking of the change they experienced while performing a Dignity-stimulated action
programme. It's a crime to waste money, I agree, however well intentioned.
“But somewhere between the benign neglect of traditional charity and the blind
acceptance of benefit-cost analysis is a sweet spot for philanthropists of all stripes to move
toward” in the words of Ray Horton, (professor of ethics and corporate governance and
Founder of the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School).
In talking about the year gone by, in the ultimate analysis, what matters is if I have been able
to put into practice all the requirements of a good leader: focus, authenticity, courage,
empathy, and timing. I believe I have tried my best…….but please make your own
assessment reading the report of activities presented by my COO, Sonali Sinha in the
ensuing pages.
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Chief OperatingOfficer’s Message
It is my proud privilege to present the Eighteenth Annual Report of Dignity Foundation.
The year 2012-2013 was a year of consolidation for Dignity Foundation. There was a lot of
introspection about our work and the impact we have on the lives of senior citizens. We
reached out to numerous members and beneficiaries to understand what they have to say
about our work. We received loads of positive reinforcement which led us to focus on new
strategies to scale up and a renewed drive to take the mission of Dignity Foundation
forward.
We have heard many members say how Chai Masti has changed their lives and how they
now look at ageing more positively. So we want to set up many more centres to be able to
reach out to many more senior citizens and bring joy to their lives.
We have received positive feedback on Dignity Dialogue that we want to increase the reach
beyond the 200 cities that it currently gets circulated simultaneously achieving deeper
penetration in these cities.
Our Dementia Day Care centres in Mumbai and Chennai are providing tender loving care to
persons afflicted with Alzheimer's and helping them live with dignity. There are more than
4.4 million people afflicted with Alzheimer's in India but few facilities such as ours.
We need to build awareness about Alzheimer's and also establish many more
such centres across the country.
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Elder abuse is on the rise given the changing social fabric of the society and increased focus
on personal gratification. We get many such cases on our Helpline. What worries us more is
the innumerable cases where the senior citizen does not speak up and seek help. Making
the society at large more sensitive about their situation and sensibility is quintessential.
While the direction to move forward is quite clear to us, the question is that of sustaining
our operations and having the funding support to scale up. The eternal debate whether an
NGO should charge fees for it services or should purely depend on donation is constantly
raging. While the general belief is that companies are focusing more on CSR activities and
have earmarked funds to give, the question we ask is: are they really looking at senior
citizens as a cause? Our experience tells that there is scant recognition of the problems
facing the elders in the country. Hence we have to start from creating awareness first, and
then get into the agenda for “giving” by the companies.
As per the India Philanthropy Report 2013 by Bain & Co., the top two areas of concern for
philanthropists in India in 2012—providing food and clothing, and supporting education --
garnering attention from 78% and 74% of donors, respectively. If we look at the Mumbai
Marathon fund raising, only a miniscule percentage of the donations were towards the
cause of elderly.
According to the India Philanthropy Report, donors tend to focus on the quantitative
metrics, such as the number of students enrolled to assess impact. On the other hand,
NGOs believe that qualitative parameters, such as interest in education, are preferable for
creating true and lasting change. However, under the pressure of donor expectations, they
discount those factors and start focusing on quantitative factor only. Such a disconnect
between the donors and NGOs is bound to ultimately lead to underperformance.
The report sums up that a paucity of resources and clarity around measurement is
prompting many NGOs to work according to a suboptimal set of performance assessment
metrics. The Report highlights that it is essential to have a common vocabulary and
measurement metrics around impact between the donors and the NGO. This is especially
important for our hard-to-measure sector where the benefits we create are subtle and
intangible and sometimes visible only over a longer duration of time.
India has a World Giving Index rank of 133 out of a total of 145 countries, the worst in the
region and even below that of Bangladesh (109) and Nepal (115). Hopefully the culture of
giving for a good cause will grow in the future with events such as the Joy of Giving Week
and the Mumbai Marathon.
As an NGO, we would like to continue serving our senior citizens and reaching out to many
more of them in the years to come.
As Mahatma Gandhi said “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of
others.”
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Sonali Sinha
Dignity volunteer A K Lakshmi came into our world about two and a half
years ago. She has wrought visible changes (I ought to say magic) in my
wife Jaya, aged 82. Jaya was experiencing some neurological old age
problems which were efficiently treated by the highly experienced
doctors at NIMHANS, Bengaluru. At that time we were looking for
someone to help Jaya get back to normal life and it was then we both became
members of Dignity Foundation. Very soon thereafter, Lakshmi came into our lives.
Lakshmi has been coming assiduously twice a week: Monday mornings to keep Jaya's
mind active and healthy. Tuesday evenings to help her walk in the neighbourhood.
Lakshmi provides Jaya with written quizzes, puzzles, arithmetic, plays scrabble and
rummy etc to keep her brain alert and vibrant. The walk helps Jaya meet neighbours,
friendly shopkeepers, apart from giving her exercise and a sense of self-confidence.
The result is now visible in the attached picture. Both Jaya and I (of course) look
forward to Lakshmi's twice a week visits and she has now become a part of our family.
This picture was taken by my daughter from Auroville who was visiting us recently.
I thought I ought to share this experience with the wider group of Dignity members
and friends, as it reflects the good solid work that is being done.
Anand Kundaji, Bengaluru, email: [email protected]
She brought light into our lives
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Volunteers Speak“Since I joined as volunteer
in 1998, I could pull on
my life up to 76 years.
I feel very active and I have
a very busy life at Dignity.
I enjoy the various activities
and Dignity Foundation and
it has made my life very
interesting."
“I had joined Dignity Foundation
as a member and volunteer
after I retired. I am a person
who believes in giving back to
the society. I have enjoyed my
time at Dignity. The time spent at
Chai Masti has been enjoyable.
In all I have enjoyed my work at
Dignity Foundation."
“I feel lucky to be associated
with Dignity as it gives me an
opportunity to impact lives
through my vocation. This
organization injects new hope
in senior citizens and provides
a platform for them to open
up, stay motivated and live
with dignity.”
" After my Retirement from Central Govt. Service,
and since the day one of becoming a Dignity
member and the Coordinator of VDFCC of
Bangalore Chapter in 2010, I have been enjoying
every moment in this wonderful organisation for
the 50 + citizens. I have realised that here is a
platform for all like-minded elders to come
together to eagerly share their knowledge and
experience with others and to create awareness
for day to day living in a dignified style and
productive ageing. They can set an example for
others in caring for each other. In this process, I
have become enriched in terms of Knowledge,
Caring, Understanding, Organising, Sharing, and
acquiring more talented friends every day.
DF can definitely make an impact on the Elders
after retirement."
Abdul Latif Sheikh
C. R. Luniya, CA
Nagaraj SR, Bengaluru Volunteer-turned-Staff
Sabar Jilla, Mumbai
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Members Speak
“Joining Dignity Chai Masti
has been a really great
experience for me as I am
able to show off my singing
and dancing talent and lead a cheerful
life. Even my heart doctor has been quite
amazed by the improvement in the
functioning of my heart. I am really
grateful to Dignity Foundation.”
“Dignity Chai Masti for me
is a personality
development class. There
are no experts here so
everyone is able to participate in the
activities without any hesitation. There
is a very friendly atmosphere at the
centre and we enjoy coming here.
Thank you Dignity Foundation. “
“Dignity looks after the needs of
senior citizens very well.
Companionship, which is very
much required after retirement, is found
in the homely and popular "Coffee
Chavadi" get- togethers, monthly
birthday celebrations, frequent picnics,
healing through music, dance and
humour, etc. etc. Being a humourist,
I really enjoy sharing my jokes and funny
anecdotes with all my friends whenever
opportunity arises.”
“Coming to Chai Masti is a welcome
deviation from our normal routine which
is 'Subah hoti hai shaam hoti hai, yunhi
zindagi guzar jaati hai'. We come here
every day to forget our worries and
participate and interact with others who
also come here for similar reasons.”
Geeta Prabhu Mumbai
Refy Reuben Mumbai
Achutha Rao PadakiBengaluru
Shamala PatankarMumbai
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Readers Speak
“I have been a regular reader of
DD since number of years.
I congratulate Dr Sheilu Sreenivasan,
Editor and Visionary who started Dignity
Foundation for the cause of Senior
Citizens and came up with a number of
innovative ideas with starting of
chapters, membership, Coffee / Chai
Masti Centres, Helpline and Dementia
Daycare centres and organising
Retirement India Expo in different cities,
bringing active, productive and happy
life in ageing with empowerment
workshops.”
“Let me congratulate you on
the grand success of the
18th anniversary celebrations of
'Dignity Dialogue' on 20th March.
As usual, it had the signature style
and stamp of Dignity Foundation
which conducts any event with
great élan.
It was a spectacular event by the senior citizens, for the
senior citizens, and of the senior citizens (most of whom
are grandparents now). Each and every senior citizen
present travelled back in time and remembered with
nostalgia the days when they as parents attended
performances by their kids at school annual 'Parents' Day'.
Never would they have visualised back then that some day
in future when they turned 60+, they would be
performing on stage in front of an august audience of
their own age. This was possible courtesy Dignity
Foundation, for their brilliant concept of serving seniors
with love and dignity.”
“I have been going through the
copies of Dignity Dialogue of
the past eight months, and
have found each issue to be
very interesting and worth
keeping in collection. I do have
copies of the last two years of
the magazine with me, and I
hope to keep the copies in
future too.”
“Dignity Dialogue has to its credit several collections of
events and accomplishments of Seniors Citizens, with varied
exposure of ground realities, comforts and discomforts
roaming in their daily lives. Its lucidity and comments over the
diction are praiseworthy. Its passion with emotions for the
silvers earned a distinctive position in the field of ameliorating
the conditions of the aged adults. It is recognised as
championing the cause of the growing ageing
population. The contents have to be translated
into regional languages to capture the hearts of
the silvers settled all over India. The rich
seniors have to volunteer to achieve such a
noble objective. We should make India really
shining and not weeping.”
Prof B C Harinath, Sevagram
K N Narayana Pillai, Chennai
S Viswanathan Iyer
Hema Rengarajan, Mumbai
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Donors Speak
“Dignity is doing exemplary
work and am privileged to
support the cause in a
small way. It's a cause
which needs greater
backing from all of us."
“It is society's duty to take
care of the elders who have
done their bit, however well
or badly we may judge, to
build society. I am proud to
be associated with Dignity
Foundation that is focusing
on this very important
segment of society. Each of us would
inexorably grow old and may need to
depend on agencies like Dignity
Foundation. Let us invest in this
annuity that would give returns not
just monetarily but also emotionally.”
“Dignity Foundation does a phenomenal job supporting
and taking care of our elders. When I think about my
parents growing old, I am always concerned about their
health and well being. It makes me very happy to see a
high class organization taking care of those elders who
are less fortunate, so that they can have a pleasant
experience during their golden years."
Navroz Mahudawala, Founder & Managing Director, Candle Partners.
Mr. Somasekhar Sundaresan, Partner, JSA
Mr. Siddharth Hariharan
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Staff Speak
“For me personally, it has been an exhilarating journey of learning
and fulfilment that has given a new meaning to my life over the past
seven years of my association with DD. It's indeed rare to be given a
full and free charge from Day 1 in any position. That too with a warm
open invitation to “come to me any time if you need anything”
attachment! The trust and support has been overwhelming
from Dr Sheilu Sreenivasan, and I hope I have been able to
justify at least a part of it. And no words can express the way
our readers and authors have embraced this new person
with no questions asked. It gives you a new high when
someone says he/she discovered their latent
creative talents through DD. And that's enough
to push you further to better yourself...
Thank you!”
“The energy, zeal and enthusiasm of our Senior
Citizens and well wishers have made us achieve
and rise to this height. The year was filled with
innumerable activities to cater to the needs of all
senior citizens. My sincere thanks to all of them
for a grand and eventful year.”
“Working at Dignity makes me feel fortunate to be
in a position to impact the lives of senior citizens
across the country. The dedication and single
mindedness of this organisation makes me feel
motivated, positive and filled with the energy to
make a difference.”
“Dignity Foundation has given Senior Citizens a
new way to make their life colourful and dignified.
This Foundation is giving them opportunities to
energise and rejuvenate themselves. Attitude and
acceptance towards life of Dignity members
inspires me a lot.”
Disha Barve,Chapter Head Pune
Sandhya R, Chapter Head Bengaluru
Shobha Nair, Editor Dignity Dialogue
Suparna Mitra,Chapter Head Kolkata
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Staff Speak
“It feels good to work with the senior citizens and
help them with their problems. I find it very
enriching. The best part of being with Dignity
Foundation is working with its Founder President
Sheilu Sreenivasan who makes sure we all work
together and help touch the lives of the senior
citizens in the best way we can. To see the
members of Dignity Foundation relieved and
happier than before is a motivation for me to
come to work every day and help make a
difference."
Juliana Warty,Membership Department
“I like to work at Dignity as
my work provides a service
to the senior citizens from
which I get lot of respect
and happiness. At the age
of 74 I am actively involved
at Dignity because I believe
that if a blind person
doesn't fear to walk around then why can't I
do it when I am physically fit and energetic."
“With the work I do I cannot say that I enjoy the
work but the satisfaction it provides motivates
me to do what I can do. Remembering few good
moments rather than days touches me most."
Baliram Gamre,Senior Citizen ID Card Department <age>
Jogeshwari SawantCoordinator, Dementia Day Care Centre
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The Helpline ProgrammeFor many senior citizens the problems of life begin at home. Elder abuse can be in the form of physical abuse,
psychological abuse, economic abuse and neglect & isolation. The biggest challenge with elder abuse is that it is
usually hidden. A sense of fear that they may be abused more if they speak up leads to elder abuse being hidden.
Hence empowering senior citizens is the most effective tool in the response to elder abuse. A Helpline for senior
citizens enables them to reach out for help and assistance against abuse. It is also helpful in information
dissemination thus creating awareness amongst senior citizens in a number of matters. Dignity Foundation has
been running this Helpline since 1995. The Helpline programme operates in all the five cities – Mumbai, Pune,
Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai.
The natures of cases handled by the Helpline are as follows:
• Loneliness and how to cope with it
• Negotiation in disputes within the family and outside
• Elder abuse and ways to resolve them
• Abuse by landlord abuse and harassment of elders
• Writing of Will and making it a legally valid document
• Elders' inability to move around in a city in search of treatment and doctors
• Total feeling of insecurity, doubt, fear and helplessness and not having anyone else to depend on
Highlights of the Year
• The Helpline programme handles around 950 – 1,000 calls per month on average.
• The Helpline programme received support from IL&FS for six months during the year.
• During the month of June 2012, Dignity Foundation conducted an Elder Abuse Campaign aimed at
encouraging senior citizens to seek help and also sensitizing the younger population to raise their voice and
support abused senior citizens. This campaign had the generous support of the following partners
o McCann Erickson, the global advertising agency, in developing the creative content for some radio spots
and TV films pro bono
o Lodestar UM helped us get media space on CNN IBN and IBN7 pro bono
o Radio Mirchi and Radio One carried our message during 6 - 19 June across several cities for us pro bono
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Shivaji Kumar Kumble, age 72, lives with his wife
and family in a small cramped room in a chawl near
Worli. Shivaji and his wife got their only son Nitin married to Vasudha with great aspirations. His son Nitin works
at a construction company and their daughter-in-law is the head mistress at a community school. Shivaji and his
wife had great expectations from their son and daughter-in-law but soon their troubles started. Nitin got into a
drinking habit and started hitting his father on coming home. Under the influence of alcohol he would abuse his
father. Their daughter-in-law was also not taking proper care of them.
Shivaji heard about Dignity Foundation through a friend and dropped in at Dignity to ask for help and advice.
Shivaji was confused and angry about his situation. In order to solve things amicably, the social worker and
volunteer suggested a meeting be arranged with the son and daughter-in-law. They were asked to come meet
the social worker at Dignity Foundation.
After repeated attempts, the counseling meeting was finally held and the social worker and volunteer
succeeded in bringing some peace in the lives of Shivaji and his wife. They now reside with their son and are
being cared for well.
An Abused Elder's story
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Dignity Foundation offers senior citizens an enriching set of opportunities to lead a more
dignified, secure, joyful and fulfilling life.
The Membership Programme encompasses a host of benefits to help senior citizens deal with
their emotional, financial, health and other insecurities, mitigate their loneliness and to bring joy
to their lives.
The key elements of the Membership Programme are as follows:
• Dignity Dialogue Magazine
• Chai Masti Centres
• Attractive Discounts
• Special Events
• Volunteering Opportunities
• Health Insurance policy offers with special benefits
The Membership Programme
I decided to become a member and started visiting your Chai Masti Centre at Dadar. Whilst in service I worked
like a workaholic. Suddenly after retirement there was a vacuum in my life. I was bereft of idea as to how to
spend time. I am not a rich man to become a member of big clubs who are charging exorbitant fees. I used to
sleep in the afternoon and was not getting sleep at night. I became restless and was on the brink of depression.
I have now seen a ray of hope in my life and am extremely happy. I appeal to all members to propagate this idea
and bring others in our fold. I am indeed grateful to Dignity Foundation which is doing yeoman service to
humanity.
Mangesh B. Borkar15
The Dignity Dialogue Magazine, India's pioneering
magazine for senior citizens, has without doubt
furthered its strong reputation for relevance and
usefulness amongst its reader in over 200 cities in
India. Adding feather to its cap is a new 'Digital'
avatar on Magzter.com. Yes, for all our readers who
travel the seven seas to babysit their grandchildren
or merely to be a physical part of their lives. So that
our readers don't miss their favourite magazine
(sure, we do get quite a few letters stating so, and
requesting us to take measures to overcome this
dilemma), here we are in full glory, to read it online
at a small cost.
As is the trend, eminent personalities as well as
people who have silently enriched lives despite
numerous challenges adorn our covers, issue after
issue - Maulana Mohammad Athar who stated
“Forgiveness is the True Tenet of Islam”; the
inimitable Lila Poonawalla; the 'Ladli' of the Century
and forever 'young' Zohra Segal; the man who has
made history with his dance moves, Shiamak Davar;
Dr Lilatai Gokhale, one of India's first women
gynaecologists, who says “Life at 95 is mighty fine!”;
HH Mahipendra Singh & Chandra Kumari of Danta
I consider myself very lucky to have become a member of the Dignity Family. I am
nearing 84 and have my own problems of health including difficulty in movement.
The magazine gives great zest to me, the contents are very valuable and give great
joy and zeal to me. I am only sorry that I am far away from Mumbai preventing me
from the programmes of Dignity Foundation. I wish Dignity Foundation all the best. Let it grow more and let
more members enjoy not only reading the magazine but also various activities of Dignity. Thank you for the
greatest service you are rendering to us, the old.
S. Rana Iyer - Trivandrum16
Dignity Dialogue Magazine
royalty who maintain India's
equestrian heritage; Padma
Srinivasan, a living example for
'learning has no age factor';
Bobby Sista's saga - a story of a very unusual man, as
sincere and dedicated as they come, softspoken,
convinced and convincing.
Under the able editorship of Shobha Nair, the
magazine has provided a platform for many senior
citizens to become budding writers and travel
journalists. Thus goes the DD Family which supports
both the magazine as well as one another, sharing
information and guiding other readers. Inclusive of
the selfless service from all our venerable authors
who are equally passionate about the magazine,
including its young student writers Queenie
Sukhadia, Mithilaa Naik Satam and Fazilat Biviji.
A special thanks to Shri Gopal Srinivasan who has
taken over charge of the interesting snippets of
information and book reviews throughout the years
without fail. We would also like to offer a small
prayer for the departed soul of our long-standing
columnist of international eminence, Dr Manu N
Kulkarni. We shall deeply miss his sensible solutions
to our country's varied ailments.
“Dignity Dialogue is our family magazine. Thank
you!” sums up Ghanshyambhai H Bharucha of
Mumbai. “Keep on giving us such good reading,”
requests D K Oza from
Chennai.
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Dignity Foundation's Loneliness Mitigation centres
are euphemistically referred to as Chai Masti
centres. These centres provide a platform for senior
citizens to interact socially, build a support network,
boost their self esteem and lead an active life.
Loneliness Mitigation Centres have structured
activities to promote:
Social interaction and sharing with peers
Learning new skills
Physical & spiritual well being
Offer a platform to display their talents and
get recognition
Some of the key structured activities conducted at
the Loneliness Mitigation Centres are
Guided Tai Chi
Yoga
Bridge (Card Game), Chess etc
Cooking Classes
Laughter Club
Old Hindi Songs/Movie Screening
Antakshari
Indian Dance
Festival Celebrations
Group Singing
Spiritual Singing
Quiz
Games
Celebrating Birthdays
Loneliness Mitigation Centres (Chai Masti Centres)
Around 1,000 senior citizens come on a daily basis
to the 16 centres across 5 cities – mitigating
loneliness and enriching lives. During the year our
Loneliness Mitigation centres continued the work
of being a beehive of activity, laughter, learning,
bonding, expanding of horizons and most
importantly of belonging.
Highlights
April 2012 Eye Care Session, awareness about prostate cancer, talk by Rheumatalogist,
Culmination Of The New Year- Baisakhi / Vishu / Tamil New Year, Celebrating Good
Friday, Picnic to Nirmal Lake Resort
May 2012 Get acquainted with Facebook –A Session with Aon Hewitt Employees,
Kavi Sammelan, Session on Ozone Therapy
June 2012 Nishpandh Meditation, Interactive Session on Geriatric Dentistry,
Healing with music, Visit to the Prince of Wales Museum
July 2012 Bollywood Dance, Jewellery making demonstration, Talk on Lifestyle Diseases,
Reiki & Healing Session, Picnic to Vajareswari, Visit to Dhobi Ghat
August 2012 Session on Art Therapy, Spray Painting, Talk on Plants & Bonsai, Celebrating
Independence Day
September 2012 Celebrated Grand Parents Day, Gas Safety Rules, Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations,
Visit to Thane Art Gallery, Picnic to Alibag
October 2012 Celebrated World Elders Day, Talk on Diabetes and Nutrition, Prevention of Knee
pain and Osteoporosis, Talk on Sattvic Aahar, Anger Management, Art Therapy
November 2012 Talk on Naturopathy, Play at Prithvi Theatre, Drawing Competition,
Bhagwad Gita, Diwali Celebrations
December 2012 Talk on Safety Awareness, Christmas Celebrations, Holistic Healing -Ozone Therapy,
Fancy Dress Competition, Learn Financial Planning, Visit to Chinmaya Mission
January 2013 Talk on Naturopathy, Physiotherapy, Picnic To Neral Senior Citizen Home,
Safety of Women
February 2013 Talk on Psychosomatic Health, Awareness talk on Organ Donation,
Visit to Haji Ali Dargah, Bhagwad Gita, picnic to Naturopathy Centre at Lonavala
March 2013 Flower Arrangement Competition, Talk on Deep Vein Thrombosis, Holi celebration,
Women’s Day Celebrations: Making Clay Models, Talk on Self Defense
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Mumbai Centres
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April 2012 Celebrated the 17th Anniversary of Dignity Dialogue Honoured 18 DD authors.
One of the five Nominees for Namma Benguluru Award among 1500 NGOs
May 2012 Initiated Music Healer Programme with Radio One.
June 2012 Celebrated Dignity Film Festival for five days five languages.(Telugu, Tamil,
Kannada, English Hindi) Participated in Radio Mirchi Live programme initiated
from Mumbai office.
July 2012 Music Healer Press Conference – Retd. Justice Santosh Hegde and Kannda film
Music Director Mr. Rajesh Krishna were present. Good Media coverage.
August 2012 V M Ware Corporate invited for a Charity Show. Radio One
“ Music Healer Programme “ at Hebbal Chavadi
September 2012 Radio One Music Healer “ Programme at Vidyaranyapuram Chavadi.
Visit to Suvidha Retirement Home.
October 2012 AIR Rainbow FM Live one hour interview with Dignitarians on” Jothejotheyale”
Celebrated World Elders Day at Gayana Samaj. Volunteerism of Akshaya Patra
started for Dignitarians. Mega Health Checkup for Dignitarians in Vikram Hospital.
Surakshabhandhan and Walkathon in Elita Promenade Apartment.
November 2012 Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations Third “ Radio One Music Healer “ Programme at
Vidyaranyapuram Chavadi
December 2012 International Film Festival special discount for Dignitarians at Rs. 100/- for 7days
and 170 shows in 5 theatres. Donation Boxes were placed in
Three different locations.
January 2013 New Chavadi started at Thirtha Ashram“ Radio One Music Healer “ Programme at
Thirtha Ashram Chavadi.
February 2013 Picnic to Dathri and Pyramid Valley. Initiated “ Joy of Dance show “
by Chasse Dance Group
March 2013 “ Yogashema” organized by Rotary Bangalore South. Dignity showcased
its products and services. World Women’s Day celebrations at Chavadis.
“ Radio One Music Healer “ Programme at Jayanagar Chavadi.
Bengaluru Chapter
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April 2012 Celebrated 17th Anniversary of Dignity Dialogue at Nehru Children’s Museum,
Urological Health Camp by R G Urology, Celebrated Bengali New Year
May 2012 General Health Check up by All Asia Medical Institute,
Celebrated Rabindra- Nazrul Jayanti
June 2012 Urological Health Camp by R G Urology, Spiritual Camp based on Gita by
Bharat Sevashram Sangha
July 2012 Eye check up by Optic Square, Visited different Religious Places, Yoga Camp
August 2012 Celebrated “Hilsa Festival” in Diamond Harbour, Special session on
Alternative Medicine by Dr. Suman Motilal Shah, Workshop on Reverse Mortgage
by NHB & Helpage
September 2012 Celebrated World’s Elder Day at Rotary Sadan, Held Music Class
October 2012 Celebrated Agomoni (Pre Puja) by Chandi Path, Visited Oldage Home – Nabanir &
Sraddha to explore volunteering opportunities
November 2012 Celebrated Bijoya Dashami, Celebrated Diwali at Rabindra Okakura Bhavan
December 2012 DF presentation at Panchabati Housing Complex, Spiritual camp based on Gita by
Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Health Check up by Charnock Hospital, Annual Picnic
held in a resort, Christmas and New Year Celebration.
January 2013 Celebrated a big Health Camp by Srabani Hearing Aids, Medica Super Specialty
and Rx Medicine, Held Tai Chi Camp
February 2013 Introduction of our New Brand Ambassador, Ms. Alokananda Roy by
Grand Celebration of Valentine’s day , Audiometric Camp Sravani Hearing Aids
March 2013 Launch Party on Ganges, Documentary Film on Vivekananda, Herbal Health Camp
by Vestige, Spiritual camp based on Gita by Bharat Sevashram Sangha,
DF presentation in Kendriya Vihar Housing Society
Kolkata Chapter
April 2012 Celebrated the 17th Anniversary of Dignity Dialogue; visited Darshan Exhibition;
conducted Computer Classes for Senior Citizens
May 2012 Visited Connecting NGO for volunteering opportunities; conducted
Computer Classes for Senior Citizens
June 2012 Visited Astha - an assisted living facility; celebrated the Dignity Film Festival
July 2012 Outing to Holistic Health Centre in Bibvewadi to understand various alternative
therapies available; conducted Computer Classes for Senior Citizens
August 2012 Visited Phulgaon SHG called Ishwari Copoerative; conducted Computer Classes for
Senior Citizens; held Music Classes
September 2012 Visited Navkshitij, a home for mentally challenged adults to explore
volunteering opportunities.
October 2012 Celebrated World Elders Day at Atlantiss Resto Bar
November 2012 Honey Bee Awareness and Nutrition Session
December 2012 Christmas celebration with visiting Magician
January 2013 Outing to Empress Garden; conducted Computer Classes for Senior Citizens;
held Music Classes
February 2013 Outing to Artificial Limb Centre; conducted Computer Classes for Senior Citizens;
held Music Classes
March 2013 Picnic to Osho Garden, Koregaon Park; conducted Computer Classes for Senior
Citizens; held Music Classes
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Pune Chapter
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Chennai Chapter18th-22nd July 2012 5 Day Film Festival at MM Preview Theatre
9th October 2012 Art Competition, Theme Grand Parenting: 6th Std Students of B.S Mootha
School Girls Higher Secondary schools participated in the Competition.
12th October 2012 World Elders Day was celebrated in a fitting manner at
Arkay Convention center Mylapore.
30th November 2012 Work Shop on Proactive Safety Approach for Senior Citizens:
Mr. Sanjay Dattatri head e-Commerce of Old is Gold spoke on Proactive safety
approach for senior citizens
3rd December 2012 Birthday Party at Presidency Club by Mr. Chary
6th December 2012 Get Together at Ms. Sanmathi residence
11th December 2012 Special Heart Camp from SAAOL: Dr.Bimal Chhajer spoke on Total Reversal
of Heart Disease
11th January 2013 Story Telling: Walking Down the memory lane, Dr.Sandhya Ruban
7th February 2013 Dr.Shayama's talk on acupressure. She also demonstrated acupressure points
related to specific ailments.
14th February 2013 A pleasant get together at Mr. & Mrs. George Mathew’s residence
15th February 2013 Discussion on the process & Failure by spiritual teacher Dr. A.N. Rao.
28th February 2013 Doctor on Call: Dr. Shetty explains the concept of consultations over phone
and home visit at Lister Metropolis
15th March 2013 Ms. Shantha & Ms. Bala hosted a meet for members at their residence.
19th March 2013 Chinese Medicine less Healing Technique by Mr. K.P Rajagopalan
Senior citizens have limited resources and can
benefit tremendously from discounts especially in
the area of healthcare. Keeping this in mind Dignity
Foundation has tied up with many hospitals, doctor
clinics, diagnostic centres, pharmacies, fitness
centres, salons and spa, and travel agencies for
special discounts ranging from 5% - 40%.
In Mumbai there are discount tie-ups with 1400
establishments.
In Kolkata we have 430 tie-ups which include 26 tie-
ups with renowned hospitals, 37 Diagnostic
Centres, 204 chemist, 5 Care giver Center ,
22 clinics, 9 Homeopathy Pharmacy and 127
miscellaneous like tours, florist, restaurants,
consumer durables, etc. Similarly, Bengaluru has
150 discount tie-ups.
is a 65 year old divorcee and she stays alone. She used to stay with
her mother and elder sister but her mother passed away 10 years back and her
elder sister died of cancer a year and a half back. Now she felt very lonely and
depressed. She sometimes thought of committing suicide. In one of her counseling sessions with Dignity she also
mentioned that she felt guilty, useless and helpless. She felt that she had not used her own mind at the time of her
divorce. She realized that she had never had any major issues with her ex-husband but now felt that she had been
brainwashed by her mother and sister. As she was the youngest, she always listened to them.
She took divorce on their insistence and also gave away the custody of her two children. She now missed her
children and though she kept in touch and the children visited her, she missed them terribly. Her relationship with
her son was also strained due to that. He did not keep in touch much and tried to ignore her. Only once in a while
he would return her calls and speak to her. Because of this she was very upset and worried about what would
happen when her health fails. She had also become paranoid that she had some or the other illness and she
would die soon.
After many sessions with the counselor, she showed signs of improvement. As therapy, she was asked to come
and volunteer in any of the activities of her choice at Dignity. She chose to come and help in ID card centre. After a
month of coming and helping at ID card Centre, she herself came and said that this volunteering opportunity has
helped her tremendously. She looks forward to coming out, feels good that she is of help. Now she has stopped
thinking negative thoughts of suicide and illness.
She has also seen improvement in her relationship with her children. They have also started appreciating her for
going out and helping others. Rani feels that now she is changed and has become more lively and is enjoying her
life. She is very happy that she approached Dignity for help.
Ms. Rani
Attractive Discounts
VolunteeringSenior citizens have a lot of time on their hands and
would like to have meaningful pursuits that can
make use of their experience and skills.
Dignity Foundation offers various volunteering
opportunities to senior citizens. Several
programmes like companionship, helpline
assistance, senior citizen ID cards, Dignity on
Wheels, etc. work on the back of senior citizen
volunteers. Volunteers are regularly trained in
counsel ing and
other areas to
equip them to deal
w i t h d i f f i c u l t
situations.
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Dignity Foundation has been issuing the Govt. of
Maharashtra Senior Citizens ID Cards for over 10
years now. The senior citizen ID Card helps senior
citizens avail the benefits of various government
schemes. It also is an important aid for senior
citizens as it carries details of their blood group,
allergies, ailment and medication and also an
emergency contact.
During the year around 40,000 cards were issued to
senior citizens across Maharashtra. Dignity
expanded its number of centres from 142 to 172
during the year across Mumbai and rest of
Maharashtra. The new centres in Mumbai were
opened in Bhandup, Goregaon East, Khetwadi and
Sion. The new centres in rest of Maharashtra were
opened in Nagpur, Hingloi, Yavtmal, Solapur,
Shahpur, Dombivali, Pune, Amravati, Gondiya,
Bhandara, Akola and Thane.
Senior Citizen ID Cards
Besides these centres, Dignity also held several
mobile camps to reach out to more senior citizens.
These camps were held in Vikhroli, Andheri East,
J. B. Nagar and Marol and at places like the Khar
Gymkhana, DHL offices and so on.
Dignity on Wheels also contributed in building
awareness about the Senior Citizens Govt. ID Card
and expanded the reach to senior citizens across all
24 wards of Mumbai.
Dignity has also been authorised to issue Senior
Citizen ID Card in Bengaluru by the Karnataka Govt.
During the year, various camps were held to reach
out to senior citizens and issue the cards.
In April-May of 2012 a five-day long trip in nostalgia was offered to members
to enjoy watching vintage films in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil and Bengali. Senior citizens' fascination with
the world of films as an exercise in nostalgia guarantees pure and simple enjoyment transporting them to the
days of their own romance and friendships.
Celebrated as Thanksgiving to
volunteers, well-wishers, supporters and donors each year brings a sense of completing yet another year in our
execution of our mission. Celebrated in all the five chapters this Day presents us an opportunity to submit our
accountabilities to the public we serve. Replete with cultural programmes and awards giving, the volunteer
force of Dignity Foundation in Mumbai take on an oath to replicate their services for yet another year!
The 18th Anniversary of Dignity Dialogue magazine was celebrated in all the five
chapters with gusto and creativity. In Mumbai the second floor hall of Manav Seva Sangh, Sion overflowed with
eager audience who came to see one another performing literary numbers on stage on March 20, 2013.
This event was a tribute to all who contributed and helped it grow to the beauty she is today. Cover
personalities, authors and editors alike, helped her grow from a black and white edition to the splendor of
colours on its pages. The evening encouraged the literary talents amongst our Dignitarians, where they recited
poetry, told a story, enacted humour and skit performances. The competition among Dignitarians was graced
by celebrity judges - brand ambassador Tanuja, Dolly Thakore, Mohana Nair and Roda and Ratnakar Desai,
Gopal Srinivasan and Meenakshi Doraiswami. Meenakshi received a special award for documenting the origin
and growth of Dignity Lifestyle Retirement Township in her flawless English and lucid style.
World Elders Day Celebrations: October 1, 2012
Dignity Film Festival
DD Anniversary
Events
Spiritual Talks The emergence of the urban city has meant man/woman gets lesser and lesser time for
himself, and more and more time for the institution she works for, or the college he studies in. Such structural
changes are causing adverse effects on the sense of wellbeing of the young teen or the aged person.
Senior citizens and young adults are being impacted upon their human ability without any reference to his
deeper inner being.
A young adult grows into a senior citizen one day, and experiences less continuity in life, more dissatisfaction,
more social isolation, feels neglected, less cared for and useless. Even as a young adult a much confused state of
mind predominates, robbing her of the truth and joy of existence. But do we know that Human beings are
spiritual in nature. A problem arises when we don't take our spirituality seriously. It is a life or death issue.
A person can be physically alive but spiritually dead. Are we human beings on a spiritual journey? Our life
depends upon our finding the answer.
Appreciating our sense of importance given to a person's spiritual being, Shree Mahalaxmi Temple Trust
extended a hand of partnership and came forward with handsome donations to hold Lecture series.
At ISCKON Centre in Juhu and at Jaihind College, Churchgate, Mumbai, spiritual talks were held in October 2012
and February 2013.
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26
Dementia is a progressive brain dysfunction that
affects memory, thinking, behaviour and ability to
perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease is
the most common type of dementia. After age 65,
the likelihood of developing dementia roughly
doubles every five years.
The number of people living with dementia
worldwide is currently estimated at 35.6 million.
This number will double by 2030 and more than
triple by 2050. The WHO estimates that the total
number of new cases of dementia each year
worldwide is nearly 7.7 million, implying one new
case every four seconds.
In 2011 there were an estimated 4.4 million Indians
with dementia. Despite the magnitude of this
problem, there is gross ignorance, neglect and
scarce services for people with dementia and their
families in India.
Dementia is overwhelming not only for the people
who have it, but also for their caregivers and
families. There is lack of awareness and
understanding of dementia, resulting in
stigmatization, barriers to diagnosis and care, and
impacting caregivers, families and societies
physically, psychologically and economically.
Dementia Day Care Programme
• Dignity Dementia Day Care centres in Mumbai
and Chennai provide care to 35-40 people afflicted
with Dementia
• At the behest of the central Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment, Hon'ble Mrs. Sheilabai
Bappoo, Minister of Social Security, National
Solidarity and Reform Institutions of Mauritius
visited Dignity Dementia Day Care Centre at
Mumbai. She was very impressed with the kind of
care being provided there and invited Dignity
Foundation to Mauritius to conduct a training
programme for their officers and care givers at their
20 Elderly Day Care Centres.
Highlights of the Year
People live for many years after the onset of
symptoms of dementia. With appropriate support,
many can and should be enabled to continue to
engage and contribute within society and have a
good quality of life.
Dignity Foundation has been running Dementia
Day Care Centres in Mumbai and Chennai. The aim
of the centre is to provide a stimulating and
conducive environment where the members can
maintain practical and social skills and enhance
their self-reliance. The centre also provides respite
for the caregivers who find it extremely stressful to
provide care to the person suffering from
dementia.
The centre has trained staff that includes a GP on
call, a Psychologist, a Social Worker and trained
attendants. Members take part in planned
activities and recreational facilities that are mixed
with good amount of rest and relaxation. The
members come from different socio economic
backgrounds and are in different stages of
dementia. Some are just in the first stage while
some are in advanced stages. Some are very
cooperative while a few are aggressive. The
caregivers are specially trained to deal with people
afflicted with dementia with tender loving care.
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Highlights of the Year
The Ration Programme
• Number of beneficiaries of this
programme went up from 35 to 100
during the course of the year. These beneficiaries
receive the ration month-on-month.
• Dignity Ration programme was enlisted by GiveIndia
for support from online donors during the year.
• We are particularly grateful to the Estate of
Late Smt. Bhadra Ranjitlal Sukhadwala and its Executor
Mr. Deepak Golwala for donating for the second year in
succession a large amount for this programme.
Mr. Sridhar Sahukar*, tall fair
and heavy was diagnosed with dementia
in the year 2011. He stays with his son,
daughter in law and grand children at
Tardeo. His son who is Doctor was at
times not able to manage him due to his
aggression. He would hit people, spit on
them and verbally abuse them. In order
to prevent him from hurting himself he
was locked up in his own bedroom.
Bringing him to centre was a big
challenge for the caretakers because of
his conflicts with other members. A
private caretaker also accompanied him
because the family knew that it was
difficult to handle him during his
aggression.
Regularly coming to the centre for past
few months he now looks forward for his
daily routine. At times he demands the
care taker to dress him up so that he can
enjoy the journey in his van. He is hesitant
to take part in exercise and games but
likes to sit in his fixed place and watch
everybody. Most of his talk revolves
around his siblings and his past
profession. He interacts with other
members and show lot of care and
concern for others. Occasionally one
would also notices him playing carrom or
with the ball. He appreciates group
singing and likes to speak in Kokani
Consistency, continuity and routine have
helped him overcome his aggressive
traits. Having people around to
continuously talk to, provides the much
needed catharsis and emotional security.
Recently he celebrated his 90th birthday
at the centre.
(*name changed)
Nearly two-thirds of the 100 million senior citizens in
India are estimated to be below the poverty line. As a
developing country, India has very little social security in
place for senior citizens. Pension coverage is as low as
11% of the entire workforce. About 65% of the aged in
India depend on others for their day-to-day
maintenance.
Dignity Foundation supports indigent senior citizens by
providing a month's worth of ration to the very poor
senior citizens who cannot fend for themselves. Senior
citizens call on Dignity Helpline or come and meet in
person for ration support. Dignity Foundation also
reaches out to the slum localities in Mumbai through
the Dignity on Wheels outreach programme.
The inclusion of a beneficiary in the programme
happens after a home visit and physical verification of
the genuineness of the case by a social worker.
All beneficiaries collect the ration on a monthly basis
directly from the Dignity Foundation office. Monitoring
by volunteers through the Helpline and Dignity on
Wheels ensures that the ration
reaches the needy, month after
month, without fail.
Dignity Foundation launched the Dignity Lifestyle Retirement Township at Neral in the year 2004 in response to
the latent need for a secure and well maintained retirement homes for senior citizens. In March 20116 the first
batch of residents moved in to the Retirement Township. Dignity Lifestyle is a pioneer in the field of senior living
facilities in India and has mentored and initiated many private sector players into this field.
Dignity Lifestyle is a hassle-free retirement township for active and productive living for senior citizens. It is
located at Neral, just 90 kms from Mumbai (Bombay). It is spread over 25 acres of land near the picturesque hill
station of Matheran. Dignity Lifestyle offers senior citizens an opportunity to live in a secure, unpolluted, quiet
and clean environment with other people of similar age group.
Dignity Lifestyle offers both Independent Living and Assisted Living facilities. In the Assisted Living cottages there
is attendant care available 24/7 and there is a doctor on campus to look after the well being of the residents.
All residents are encouraged to take part in development of nearby villages, showcase their talents, and lead a
productive life.
The township currently has 62 cottages which are all
occupied. Dignity Lifestyle is planning to start the
construction of Phase II in Sept-Oct of 2013
Dignity Lifestyle Retirement Township, Neral
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During the year 2012-2013, Dignity Foundation had several engagements with the corporate sector. In many
corporate entities, there are a large number of people retiring each year, especially in large public sector
enterprises. Several companies have taken steps to help their retiring employees ease into a new phase of life by
bringing in Dignity Foundation to conduct Pre-Retirement Workshops.
Retirement WorkshopsDignity Foundation has been conducting Pre-Retirement Workshops for companies for several years now.
The workshop is typically spread over two days at a venue of the choice of the company. Around 25 – 30
employees in their 50's along with their spouse participate. The workshop includes topics such as Crossing
Psychological and Social Barriers to Retirement, Post Retirement Money Management, Will Making and
Nomination, Health Awareness, Diet and Lifestyle for Elders, Self-discovery, Redefining Relationships, Goal
setting, Productive Ageing options such as Second Careers, Volunteering, Social networking, Inward Journey,
Meditation, Mudras, Benefits of Yoga, and so on.
The workshops conducted during the year 2012-
2013 were as follows:
IDBI Bank – We conducted the 2nd round of Pre-
Retirement Workshop for IDBI Bank on 22nd & 23rd
May 2012. This was then followed by the 3rd round of
Pre-Retirement Workshop on 28th & 29th January
2013.
Kirloskar Pneumatic Co. Ltd. - We conducted the 3rd
round of Pre-Retirement Workshop for their
employees on the 21st and 22nd May 2012 in Mulshi,
Pune.
Coromandel Fertilizer Ltd. – We conducted two
workshops for Coromandel Fertilizers during the
year, one for the Supervisory staff at on 5th & 6th
September 2012 and another for the managerial stall
7th & 8th September 2012. The workshops were very
well received and appreciated.
Ms. Meera Kartik, Senior Manager Training,
Coromandel Fertilizers
The 2nd batch at Hyderabad was also great success.
The participants have given us excellent feedback.
Direct Taxes Regional Training Institute, Mumbai –
We were invited by the Direct Taxes Regional Training
Institute to conduct a workshop on Financial
Independence and Productive Ageing for their senior
officers who were retiring on 5th February 2013.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – We conducted a Pre-
Retirement Workshop for the employees of
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. on 11th March 2013. This
workshop was very highly rated by the employees
who attended the programme.
Corporate Engagements
Rating of Pre-Retirement Workshop
Mahindra & Mahindra Employees
Overall Program Assessment
Self Assessment
Trainer Assessment
Content Assessment
- 1 2 3 4 5
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For the fourth year in succession, the Reserve Bank of India continued to gift subscription of the Dignity Dialogue
Magazine to each and every retiring employee across the country during the year. This gesture shows to the
employees that the organisation continues to care about them even after retirement.
Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizers (RCF) have made gifting of the Govt ID Card for senior citizens a part of their
retirement procedure. The HR team at RCF continued to efficiently manage the process of collecting documents
for issuing the Cards and worked closely with the Dignity Foundation team.
Some other companies such as Blue Dart, HPCL and Khar Gymkhana conducted camps for Senior Citizen ID
Cards in their offices to enable their employees/members to get this card made for their parents/members.
Employees from several companies visited our centres to interact and conduct sessions for senior citizens during
the year. These interactions were thoroughly enjoyed by the senior citizens and helped sensitize the young
employees about the needs and problems faced by senior citizens.
Gifting of Magazine Subscription
Gifting of Senior Citizen ID Cards
Volunteering
Gifting
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Our Supporters
ADF Foods Ltd Prabhakar S. Gurjar
Ajay Garg Pradeep Mallick
Ajit Thomas Stephen Prashant Shetty
Alcon Electronics Pvt. Ltd Pregnya Ram
Amit Kumar Singh Prime Advisory Service Pvt. Ltd.
Amith Kumar Singh Raghunath Raghavan
Anuradha Prabhu KP Ramal Charities
Aruna V. Shah Ramesh Narayan
Ashwin Iyengar Ramgopal Kundurthi
Bhuvan Garodia Ramprakash Podar Charitable Trust
Candle Partners Ratnakar B. Desai
Chandrahas Shertty Reddy Hymavathi
Concast (India) Ltd. Richa Shrivastava
D.M. Chitnis Rohan Desai
Dinshaw Bhiwandiwlla Romi Agarwal
Estate of Late Miss Banoo Burjor Guzdar Roshan Pirojsha Ghaswala
Estate of Late Smt. Bhadra Ranjitlal Sukhadwala S. Vineet Iyengar
Gopal Srinivasan S.P. Ambrose
G. Ramasamy Sadashiv S. Rao
Guru Datta Tewari Sam R. Pochkhanawala
Harsha Raghavan Sapana Charitable Trust
Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. Shanti Suresh Lawande
Key Donors - Individual / Corporate / Trust Donation of amount Rs.10,000/- and above
We are grateful for the financial support we have received this year.
Some of the key donors during April 2012 – March 2013 are as follows:
Payroll Donors
Kotak Mahindra
American Express
Thomas Cook
VMWare
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Space Donors
Sharda Classes – Dadar Centre
Computer Donors
Candle Partners
JK Group Shantikumar Dalal
Kamla Pillai Sharad Wasni
Kasturi Sundaram Shree Mahalakshmi Temple Charities
Keki Khodadad Irani Siddharth Hariharan
Kumud S. Shah Siddhartha Luther
Lakshmi Srinivasan Smitha Purshotam Shenoy
Magma Fincorp Ltd. Somasekhar Sundaresan
Maharukh Edil Katrak STCI Finance Ltd
Manjeshwar Balachandran Sukanta Satyamurti
Meera Gururaj Sulakshana Raghavan
Meera Krishna Rao Tewari Brothers Mithaiwala
Memmara S. Chidambaram Charitable Trust Thakkar KM Bhatia Niwas & VMC Trust
N.H. Israni H.U.F. Uma Srinivasan
Narayan Reddy Usha Chetan Shah
Nergish Olia Vaidyanath Kanna Doraiswami
Nexus HR Consultants Pvt. Ltd. Venkatesh Prabhu
Nirmala George Mathews Vidwan R.K.Padmanabha
NKGSB Coop Bank Ltd. Vimla Nayar
P.S. Ravidranath Vinaya Mehrotra
Pankaj Bhatt Weir Minerals
Pankaj Sood Zahid Husain
Key Donors - Individual / Corporate / Trust Donation of amount Rs.10,000/- and above
Board of Trustees
Trustee and SecretaryGopal Srinivasan,
Director, GKW
Managing TrusteeDr Sheilu Sreenivasan,
Social Worker President, Dignity Foundation
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TrusteeArun Saha,
Jt. Managing Director, Infrastructure Leasing Financial Services Ltd. (IL&FS) &
TrusteeNagesh Alai,
Chairman, Draftfcb + Ulka Group
TrusteeUjwal Thakar
Advisor BFSI PriceWaterhouseCooper Ex-CEO of GiveIndia and Pratham
TrusteeVinaya Mehrotra,
Philanthropist
Advisory Councils have been constituted in each city Chapter. As custodians and keepers of the brand Dignity, as
its sole purveyor and repository locally in the city of the Chapter, members are nominated by the President. The
role expectation is about building strategies and initiating resource mobilisation action programmes for
spreading the goals and objectives of Dignity Foundation in the city of the Chapter.
1. Raising different kinds of support – human and financial – enabling the fulltime management team in the
chapter to satisfactorily and comprehensively deliver services to senior citizen of the city.
2. Be seen as Custodians of the Dignity Foundation Trust at all Events that are held once a quarter.
3. Ensure the name and status of Dignity Foundation is truly guarded and protected.
4. Help the Team in establishing tie-up partners such as hospitals, pathological Labs, medical shops, restaurants
etc. so our members can enjoy discounted access to their services.
5. Meet once a month as is convenient to the Members, so that they are briefed on activities of the past month
and know about projections for next month by the Head of the management team.
6. The local Management Team, headed by a Senior Manager, reports to the Advisory Council and make
updated presentations each month.
Advisory Councils in Chapters
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Kolkata Advisory Council
Bangalore Advisory Council
Chennai Advisory Council
Dr Ushavathy Srinivasan
K. Radhakrishnan Indumati Phadke Sundara Gopalan
Anuradha Bhattacharjee Payal Chitlangia Rajat Kapoor
Sujaya J G Varadarajan Krishnamurthy
35
Salary and Benefits to the Head, the highest staff member and the lowest staff member
Remuneration to Board Members
There is no remuneration paid to any of the Board Members. Reimbursements given to the President for
traveling in India amounting to Rs.59,370/-.
Credibility Alliance Norms Compliance Report
GiveIndia Disclosures
Distribution of staff according to salary levels and gender break up
Total Cost of international Travel by all Personnel (including Volunteers)
Nil
Memberships
• GiveIndia – Tier I
• Guidestar
• Charities Aid Foundation
• United Way Mumbai (for Mumbai Marathon)
Identity
- Dignity Foundation is registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 (Reg. no. GBBSD/1776/97-C
dated 23.12.1997) and the Bombay Public Trusts Act 1950 (Reg. no. F-19856 (Mumbai) dated 17.2.1998).
The Trust Deed is available on request.
- Dignity Foundation is registered u/s 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (Reg. no. INS/33207 dated
21.1.1998). The 80G Certificate is valid till further notice.
- Dignity Foundation is registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act FCRA 083791108 dated
17.3.2008 for the receipt of foreign donors.
- Dignity Foundation has registration u/s 35AC of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (Notification No. S.O. 2835(E)
dated 19.12.2011) for its Dementia Project. Donations to this programme are eligible for
100% tax deduction.
Head of the organization (including Honorarium) Rs. Nil per year
Highest paid full time regular staff Rs. 540,000/- per year
Lowest paid full time regular staff Rs. 12,000/- per year
Slab of gross salary (in Rs) plus benefits paid to staff (per month)
Less than 5000
5,000 – 10,000
10,000 – 25,000
25,000 – 50,000
50,000 – 1,00,000
Greater than 1,00,000
7
12
5
2
0
0
13
19
10
8
0
0
20
31
15
10
0
0
Male staff Female staff Total staff
36
Name and Address of Bankers
Local Accounts
• IDBI Bank – Savings Account – Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre Extension Counter,
15, Dr. G Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai 400 026
• State Bank of India – Savings Account - Opera House Branch, Unity House,
Mama Parmanand Road, Mumbai 400 004
• Indian Bank – Savings Account - Prathna Samaj Branch, Vijay Chambers, Tribhuvan Road,
Opp. Dreamland Cinema, Mumbai 400 004
• IDBI Bank – Savings Account – Wanawadi Branch, Fatima Memory Apartment,
Ground Floor, Sr.No.77, Hissa No.72, Shivarkar Marg, Wanavadi, Pune
• IDBI Bank – Savings Account - Sarakki Lake, 26/1, Sowbhagya Complex,
24th Main, J P Nagar 5th Phase, Bangalore
• IDBI Bank – Savings Account - Ashok Nagar, 44/86, 4th Avenue, Ashok Nagar, Chennai - 600083
• IDBI Bank – Savings Account - Salt Lake, Management House, D1, Salt Lake Electronics Complex,
Block EP & GP, Salt lake, Kolkata - 700091
• HSBC Bank – Savings Account - 52/60 Mahatma Gandhi Road, Mumbai – 400001
• Axis Bank – Savings Account - New Marine Lines, Mumbai – 400020
• The Hongkong And Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd – Savings Account
31 Shakespeare Sarani, Kolkata 700017
• Indian Overseas Bank – Savings Account - S.S.I. North Chennai, 20,Ormses Road, Kilpauk Chennai
FCRA Account
• IDBI Bank – Savings Account – Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre Extension Counter,
15, Dr. G Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai 400 026
Name and Address of Auditors
Gautam Shah & Associates
A/11, Alka, First Floor, Dadabhai Road, Next to Flyover, Near CNMS School,
Vile Parle (W), Mumbai-400056
37
Financial Report
38
Financial Report
39
40
Financial Report
41
42
Financial Report
43
44
Financial Report
45
Mumbai Office: B-206, 2nd Floor
Byculla Service Industries Premises,
Dadoji Konddev Marg, Byculla (E)
Mumbai - 400027
Phone: +91 22 6138 1100
+91 22 6138 1199Fax:
Email: [email protected]
Pune Chapter: Savio Villa,
78/4, Divya Nagar, Wanawadi.
Pune - 411 040
Phone: +91 20 30439190
Email: [email protected]
Kolkata Chapter: 20 L, Dhakuria Station Road,
P. O. Dhakuria, Kolkata - 700 031
Phone: +91 33 24187937
Email: [email protected]
Chennai Chapter: Flat No.8 , Sri Kamakshi Apartments,
Plot No.43/44, M.M Ramasamy Street,
Ashok Nagar, Chennai - 600 083.
Phone: +91 44 - 24717232
Email: [email protected]
Bengaluru Chapter: 383, 33rd Cross, 17th Main,
Jayanagar 4th T Block,
(Opp: BES ladies Hostel).
Bengaluru - 560 041
Phone: +91 80 41511307 / 41661122
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.dignityfoundation.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dignityfoundation
Dignity Dialogue Digital:
http://www.magzter.com/IN/Dignity-Foundation/
Dignity-Dialogue/Lifestyle/
Dignity Foundation
