Help abandoned elderly in Cali feel it's Christmas
Help restore a little dignity to 100 abandoned elderly in Cali, Colombia.
After visiting a foundation for abandoned elderly in the poorest part of Cali today, Aguablanca, Diana and I was shocked to find both an incredible amount of love and hard working volunteers, but also totally unreasonable living conditions for about 100 elderly in the last stages of their lives (the oldest being 110 years old).
These grandparents have been left around the city by families who are unable to take care of them. They get picked up by the police and brought to the foundation and sometimes even abandoned outside the front door of the foundations private house transformed into a care home.
Out of the over 100 residents, there are at least 30 with special needs like different stages of dementia, wheelchair bound or with missing limbs and other illnesses. There are no medical educated staff or otherwise medical knowledgeable help on hand.
Anabeiba the founder and caretaker-in-charge is using her own house and have added a neighbouring house to complete a total space of approximately 300 square meters or 10.000 square feet which now houses over one hundred elderly, including a washing space, a small kitchen, an office and only 3 toilets to be shared.
There are about 15 people helping out with all the daily tasks 24/7 and they have so much work to keep the place clean, cook and help the elderly with all their needs.
It is unthinkable conditions for most of us and to imagine ending the last years of our lives abandoned by our families and living with absolutely no privacy or professional help!
There are no help being given by the Colombian government and the foundation rely entirely on donations from individuals and companies (which is a very uncertain flow of funds).
The work Anabeiba and her helpers are doing is incredible and makes you want to cry and so Diana and I decided to help the best we can by trying to raise funds. We will make purchases of food, clothes, bed sheets, medicine, personal hygiene items and other products that will help make the days a little more tolerable for the elderly and the volunteers and hopefully we can all help restore a little dignity in the lives of hundred abandoned grandparents.
Even a $5 USD donation will go a looooong way to make life a little better and Diana and I guarantee that every cent of your donation will go directly to improve conditions for the elderly residents and we will document the hand over of the donations both in pictures and video so you can watch the joy this gesture will bring!
We thank you for taking your time to read this and hope you will open your heart this holiday season to donate whatever amount you can to this cause!
Thank you and happy holidays!
Mike, Diana, Daniela, Laura and Sofia.
