1-800-656-4673
Older Adult Wellness
Mauj Masti Sehat
Community Wellness group:
Mauj Masti Sehat translates to fun, relaxation, and health. This program is designed by South-Asian mental health professionals and acts as a preventative project to address the overall loneliness and isolation of South Asian seniors, taking into account their specific struggles. Whether it’s their limited knowledge of language, cultural norms, or progression of society, Mauj Masti Sehat provides a safe space to answer all of their questions in educational forums, meetings, info series, and group activities.
These programs reach over 350 seniors, with a consistent attendance of around 40 people. We invite a presenter at each session to address various topics such as physical health, mental health, cyber safety, nutrition, and different kinds of creative therapy. Our garden therapy, for example, has been extremely popular within the senior community, the planting, nurturing, and harvesting process paralleling the parenting, family, and child rearing process.
The overall impact of Mauj Masti Sehat has been immense as it promotes community cohesion, builds friendships, and encourages our seniors to reach out if they need help.
E-Phone Program
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world saw a complete shift to the digital world. Classes were now online, birthday parties were simply reduced to e-cards, and communication as a whole happened exclusively via technology. The lack of connection was catastrophic for mental health, and the isolation gave rise to more grave issues such as depression and dementia, especially for the older population. These individuals were also the most at risk, so oftentimes they were even more isolated than the average person. Saahas for a cause recognized this, and saw the need to educate the senior community so they could maintain their relationships and minimize the effects of the loneliness caused by quarantine.
Saahas began a series of one-on-one Zoom classes that taught senior citizens how to maneuver technology. These calls familiarized them with the mechanisms of online video chat. In addition, inspired by the Promotores program, Saahas began a similar one for the South-Asian community, which allowed our volunteers to directly check-in with the seniors in our database regarding their mental health, daily life, and activities. They also provided them with COVID-19-related updates, especially information about vaccines and mechanisms of transportation to testing/vaccination sites.
Such individualized attention to our South-Asian seniors was incredibly impactful, and we are fortunate to have done anything we could do to reduce isolation, increase integration, and better the mental health of anyone we could.
Language Empowerment Program
While much of South-Asian culture transcends language, there is no denying that there is often a very large language barrier that keeps South-Asians, particularly seniors, from integrating into American society. Whether it is their healthcare administrators, grandchildren, friends, or everyday neighbors, many South Asian seniors are unable to communicate effectively with those around them, and this can lead them to experience excessive loneliness, frustration, and depression. Our Language Empowerment Programs aims to provide a productive and successful method of teaching English to these seniors. Through entertaining and relatable activities, the program provides a space for them to not only learn, but socialize and build relationships with fellow South Asians in a similar situation.
Language Empowerment Program
Unlike ESL, we offer an interactive English-teaching model that involves the students as much as the instructors. In this way, our seniors are active participants in their learning, and provide suggestions for topics of conversation, vocabulary, and more. Through games and activities, we keep enthusiasm high as participants practice their speaking and vocabulary skills.
Our team consists of 3 instructors— two first generation immigrants one of whom has lived and worked in the United States for most of her adult life) and a second generation immigrant of South Asian descent. The fluency of our instructors in Hindi & English establishes a sense of comfort and trust among our participants and the American accent of the instructor helps them better assimilate into the US conversational English. Our program has run twice a month since October of 2020, and each session lasts 1 hour.
With the growing success of the Language Empowerment program, we are so glad to take steps towards dismantling the language barrier between South Asian seniors, providing them a life full of easy and enjoyable connection.
Technology Classes
In collaboration with Saahas youth members, we offer technology classes to senior South-Asians to help them navigate the digital world. These workshops are held on Zoom and in-person, cover topics such as maneuvering entertainment Apps or shopping Apps.
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Saahas For Cause relies on the support and generous contributions from the community
to fund its various programs and services.
to fund its various programs and services.