ERBIL, Kurdistan // July 9, 2015 — A team from Rwanga Foundation together with a representative from Carrefour, gathered at a retirement home to share Iftar and an evening with Kurdish elderly.
The Elderly Community of Erbil, is a retirement home that hosts 65 elderly persons from Erbil, Mosul and Duhok who had to seek assisted living since their families can no longer look after them. Many of the residents, though still upbeat and sharp, have little or no family left whom they can rely on for assistance in their old age.
As one former member of a political party in Turkey sat grasping bits of kebab and vegetables with naan off his plate, Murad recalled his more active days during the time he was forced to leave Turkey and prevented from engaging further in political activities.
Many also felt fortunate to be cared for in their old age. Some even praised the current government in Kurdistan for reliable infrastructure such as electricity and water. Understandable when such services, if absent, can cause life threatening circumstances for the elderly and sick during the summer.
When a member of Rwanga’s team asked what people needed, one member of the home stated proudly, “We are here together as a family, we want something which will benefit all of us.” Another replied exuberantly, “A wife, a house and the start to a new life!”
Xama, an 80-year-old woman from Khanaqin told Rwanga staff, “My husband died a long time ago and we did not have any children. After his death, I was being looked after by my nephew and nieces.” She explained further, “But they become too busy with their own lives, and they could not look after me any longer which is why I am here now.” Xama’s story is echoed by many in the home, though all are grateful that they are provided a place to live and for the company.
