“At my age, it brings great joy to fill your days with something meaningful:” The New Life of Older Refugees
Published: Feb 5, 2025 Reading time: 2 minutes
With the first rays of the sun, the golden heads of sunflowers planted by Ramela shine brightly. Seventy-four-year-old Ramela, a former teacher who dedicated many years to her profession, now starts her day tending her garden, infused with her love and attention.
Ramela finds ways to keep busy. When we visited, she was in the yard, carefully sorting sunflower seeds to dry and store for winter use. Despite her activity, a lack of social interaction is especially noticeable. This was made even harder due to her displacement from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ramela is one of 170 elderly individuals participating in the “Increasing the Well-being of Older Refugees” project implemented by People in Need. It’s already the second year, and the project, funded by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), is meeting the needs of older people, promoting their integration, and reducing social isolation.
Over the four-month project, 170 elderly residents from the communities of Tashir and Alaverdi in Lori Province, as well as Noyemberyan and Berd in Tavush Province, received hygiene kits, blankets, and bedding to prepare for winter. Financial assistance was also provided, enabling them to purchase clothing and household appliances.
The importance of this support extended beyond providing essential items. It gave them the opportunity to choose and purchase what they genuinely needed independently.
Other crucial components of the project are integration and reducing social isolation. To this end, we organised ten community social events, engaging older participants and giving them opportunities to interact, form new connections, and momentarily escape their daily routines. As one participant noted,
Throughout the project, social workers held regular meetings with participants, addressing the challenges of ageing, discussing their concerns, and identifying urgent needs. These ongoing conversations not only provided emotional support but also helped us gain valuable insights into the specific difficulties faced by elderly individuals. This knowledge will guide us in developing more tailored and effective initiatives.
