I came across a post on Instagram about volunteering for an Elders' Fest. I immediately looked up the details, went through them, and registered for the event as a volunteer.

As part of this, I visited an old age home here in Hyderabad, GrandMa Old Age Home. VTVO (V the Volunteers) is a platform that brings volunteers together and strives to bring joy and happiness to the residents of old age homes by investing time with them. I had never volunteered for such an event before; this was my first time. I thought I could be a part of it, listen to their stories, and talk with them.

Yes, I went, and some other volunteers joined as well. It was a great experience to have a conversation with the founder of VTVO and hear the story behind starting this platform. I will be sharing his story, along with the experiences of all the other volunteers who invested their time in bringing smiles and joy to these people.

We conducted some drawing activities and games to get them involved and participating. Indeed, they deserved some time from us to feel at home and to escape their sorrows for a while. Our time could add some happiness to their lives. There were around 25 elders—some mentally disabled, some homeless, and some physically disabled—from diverse backgrounds and speaking different languages.

VTVO is organizing a big event called "Elders Fest" in November, where all the elders and senior citizens from old age homes will gather at a single place to participate in events and competitions—much like the annual functions we have in schools, right? Here, for senior citizens who are homeless and spending their lives in old age homes, VTVO and volunteers are coming together to conduct a festival just for them.

From Diarysouls, I have voluntarily committed to writing as many stories as possible and gifting a diary to VTVO. In it, I will try to capture the stories of the elderly people and the volunteering experiences of those who selflessly came to bring smiles to these residents.

Read all the stories that Diarysouls is going to write in the diary, “ELDERS FEST – Hyderabad”, along with my first-day experience volunteering at an old age home.

 Thank you Surendran and Team for the platform.