Project ID: 2022-3-HU01-ESC30-SOL-000099921
Duration: 12 months
Type: Solidarity project
Project objective:
The project was created with the involvement of a non-formal group of young people.
All 5 members of the group live in Budapest. Four of us were born and raised here. Despite the many entertainment and recreational opportunities in cities, we observe and experience that the elderly become isolated and withdraw from relationships, fearing diseases. Each member of our group grew up in a small community, the community of draughts players. We shared numerous unforgettable events, international intellectual sports competitions, and game nights that extended into the early morning hours. In this community, we found true friends, and we were able to spend our leisure time very meaningfully with various board and social games, cooperative team games. During this time, we got to know each other thoroughly, opened up to each other, and were able to discuss all our problems together. We became a real team during the shared gameplay. We learned to assist, support, mentor the younger ones, teaching them interesting community games that they enjoy playing at home with their families, bringing families together. There is a great need for such inclusive communities in big cities, where young people and children can find their place in the real world. We owe a lot to the alliance and the people working in the alliance. We played a lot, and even our parents learned many board games here, which we played at home with the family. We believe that, especially now due to the pandemic situation and the long periods of confinement, it is crucial for people, especially families, to live a communal life. The older generation living in the vicinity has become very isolated in recent times. Many ended up in nursing homes, lived in fear during the pandemic period, and unfortunately, this fear has persisted in many. They still find it challenging to go out, and senior clubs only attempted to organize programs during the summer. The elderly in nursing homes live quite isolated lives, and family members found it difficult to visit them due to restrictions. We thought that as young people, we should take this into our own hands, and our target group became the older generation. It is essential for us that our grandmothers can lead an active, happy life with us for a long time. We cannot allow them to become lonely, fearful, and unhappy in their old age. We thought that we, as young people, have tried to cope with the pandemic situation in various ways, using online games and home workouts to handle the situation. Confinement caused tension for all age groups, and there were constant conflicts within families. The elderly lived in complete isolation. We, young people, processed the pandemic situation by playing online games and exercising at home because confinement caused tension for all age groups, and there were constant conflicts within families. We played a lot together before the pandemic, and we were looking forward to being together again because genuine play, relaxation, and bonding can only happen in a community since humans are social beings. Every age group, but especially the elderly, needs social connections the most. Therefore, we thought that we would like to organize a project to teach board games to the grandmothers and grandfathers of our community, the older generation, who can lead an active and fulfilling life despite their old age. We met several times at competitions during the summer and discussed how good it would be if we could spend more time together in Pest. Common experiences, shared games, and conversations lead to cohesive communities and bring children closer to their grandparents. These were the personal reasons. At the same time, it is well known that developed societies are constantly aging, and fewer active adults have to take care of more and more retirees. Therefore, it is essential for the elderly to remain as healthy and active as possible. They create significant value not only for family unity and social cohesion but also economically. Hence, it is important for society that their physical and mental health be preserved for as long as possible, making them active participants in society. Responsible citizens can contribute to this. Taking care of the elderly is a societal task and priority. We can contribute by promoting their mental freshness, ensuring their well-being through shared programs and social gatherings, which contribute to better physical condition.
With our program, we advocate for daily brain training to stay mentally active: logic games and thought-provoking board games can be very helpful in this regard.
Comments