How do you counter loneliness... especially the kind that stems from living in high-rises? Well, residents of Shipra Srishti in Ahinsa Khand I, Indirapuram, have come up with a fantastic idea to get neighbours chatting and, of course, forge new friendships along the way.
One Saturday every month, residents get together in the society park and have dinner together with home-cooked food and games galore.
“It feels like a party on these Saturdays — we share meals, happiness, and our lives,” said Pallavi, a resident of the society.
The initiative has helped senior citizens a lot, who suffer the most from loneliness. “They have formed activity groups, and are now utilizing post-retirement time socializing,” she said
Neighbours at least now know each other by names, added Sanjay Kumar, another resident.
“Our lives are so busy that we barely get time for ourselves, so knowing our neighbours gets quite difficult. But thankfully, this initiative has at least helped us know who’s is living next door,” he said.
Also, in the event of an emergency, now these neighbours do not hesitate to ask for help.
Recalling an incident a week ago, Kumar said. “Just last week, someone suffered a heart attack and the wife called us for help, as there was nobody else in the house. We rushed him to the nearby hospital.”
The initiative was started a year ago with merely 15 families. Today, there are over 45 participating families, with more than 250 residents!