Jobs Fair - Nightingale Trust - Bangalore

429 senior citizens bag jobs at fair

TNN Sep 29, 2013, 05.37AM IST
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Raja Rao

BANGALORE: Eighty-five-year-old Raja Rao stood on the first floor and
peered through his glasses at the basement which was buzzing with
senior citizens. "I am looking for like-minded people, somebody as old
as me who would be interested in a joint venture," said the
octogenarian.

At 85, Rao wishes to begin another innings. And he is not alone.
Hundreds of senior citizens queued up at the RV Institute of
Management to be part of a job fair for those aged above 60. The fair,
organized by Nightingale Empowerment Foundation, an NGO, offered
around 700 jobs, including those of cashier, accountant, telephone
operator, and those dealing with front office and back-end processing.
Almost 1,010 senior citizens walked in; most of them didn't want to
while away time at home; some were not done giving back to society and
others wanted to live an independent and dignified life. As many as
429 candidates were shortlisted for jobs.

"When I got married, I decided to quit my job thinking my in-laws
wouldn't like me to work. But they supported me and I worked for 33
years. I retired but I still feel the urge to work. I am looking for a
job again," said 69-year-old Mangalamba BV.

Echoing the majority's feeling, B Basavaiah, said, "I don't want to
sit idle at home and be a burden. I have the energy and the will to
work more. I am not done serving the country."

Among the multitude, there were some who were desperate for jobs. "My
husband died in a road accident and the tragedy has had a lasting
impact on my son. He is ready to go to work only if I accompany him,"
said Indira KW from Padmanabhanagar, a primary school teacher who
wants to start afresh.

The only area where the energetic seniors seem to have fumbled was
their computer skills. In fact, most of them decided to sign up for
computer courses so that they can avail of more opportunities.

For many, Saturday was reminiscent of days in their past when they
went job hunting. But things have changed. "We have passed bigger
tests in life. These interviews don't frighten us anymore," said
Shekhar R, as he confidently walked into an interview session.

Major concern

It's a major concern that a large number of senior citizens are
financially insecure. But many of them are physically active and their
potential is being wasted. That is where this job fair comes in. The
government needs to think about this group of citizens and undertake
similar initiatives

S Prem Kumar Rajan | Secretary and trustee, Nightingale Empowerment Foundation

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