Vision

The Health Welfare & Gender Committee aims to provide social, health & welfare service that assists the seniors in our community with recreational services as well as providing services to enlighten the community on health related issues and supporting those in need financially or otherwise to be self sufficient and in accordance with the constitution of the SPHSS.

Background

This committee came into existence in 1999, in honor of the International Year for Older Persons. The Executive Committee of the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj felt that this international day should be celebrated by the Samaj by launching a sub-committee that would look specifically at the needs of older persons. Thus, under the leadership of Jivanbhai Kalyan was born the Health, Welfare and Gender committee. Since 1999, the committee has actively arranged activities, ranging from health tests to excursions for the older persons to help ensure that in their twilight seniors are able to continue living a meaningful life. over time, the mandate of this team grew to also addressing the needs of the broader community, including women and children. This Committee this became known as the Health, Welfare and Gender Committee.

In pursuit of this mandate, the committee actively sought the help of health professionals in the local community, such as social workers, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who today form the backbone of the committee. Their focus is on improving the health, welfare and gender issues of the greater Pretoria Gujarati community.

Types of Support

• Health, Welfare and Gender committee acts as a referral body utilizing facilities available within the broader Pretoria area,
• Types of assistance are mainly of a supportive and advisory nature, as members of this committee are volunteers,
• Education campaigns on health, welfare and gender matters are tackled on an ongoing basis as the need arises.

Functions and Activities

• Hosting monthly Senior Citizens Club meetings,
• Promote preventative and educational interventions to enable active ageing and healthy lifestyle,
• Inclusive care and facilitation for the well-being of our seniors in areas of socialization, health, education, fitness and entertainment,
• Involvement and participation in religious and cultural activities,
• Provision of food hampers to the needy,
• Fundraising drive in conjunction with other sub-committees to raise funds for blankets and food hampers for the needy.