BENGALURU: M Govindaswamy (65), who worked at the Kudremukh Mines for over three decades, was one of the 800 senior citizens who took part in the job fair, organised by the Nightingales Empowerment Foundation here on Saturday. Of them, 230 got job offers.
Govindaswamy told Express that he was in need of money, especially after his son stopped looking after him. “Though I am a diabetic, I can still work for another five years. My daughter’s marriage is approaching and my son has stopped caring for me. I don’t have any money, not even Rs 6 for a cup of tea. I have won individual championships at the all-India public sector sports meet twice and my health is quite good,” he said.
Similarly, Shankaraiah (62), a former auto driver, said that he would be happy with any kind of job. “I have two sons. They are married and stay separately and they do not care for me. I live with my wife and now we are facing financial problems. Hence, I have come here to look for a job. I will be happy if I manage to get around Rs 15,000 a month,” he said.
However, not all present were there for the money. Many attended the job fair as they didn’t want to be idle. Gowramma (63), a homemaker and single, said that she doesn’t want to depend on anyone. “Though funds are a necessity, I do not want to end up being dependent on someone else. I had worked as a teacher for 22 years. I don’t want to be idle as I feel that I can still work. I am looking to join an organisation as a receptionist or clerical staff,” she said.
B Bhaskarlu (67) had worked in the accounts department at the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for 35 years. “There is no point in sitting at home without a job. I want to contribute to myself and the society and this is the best way. I am looking for a job in the accounts department of any organisation. I have three children who are all married and well settled. Hence, I don’t have any family issues. However, a point that I would like to make is that the government must be proactive in ensuring that senior citizens are employed. This will add to the state’s economy too as all of us are experienced,” he said.
The companies were happy with the response. “Most of these candidates have a lot of experience, which is very good for us. It is mutually beneficial. There is a lot of talent here, most of it untapped,” said
S M Y Athar, national head of Basket Option Insurance Broker Private Limited, one of the participating firms.
Dr Radha S Murthy, the co-founder of the Foundation, said that it is imperative to help out the elderly. “These people face so many issues, most of them being economic in nature. Most of them don’t get their pension and with the rising costs these days, it is becoming difficult for them to make ends meet. They don’t want to depend on their children either. Also, those who are not educated are trained in the use of computers and other soft skills, making them employable. Hence, this is a good opportunity,” she told Express.
She said they received 850 registrations out of which around 230 senior citizens got job offers. The fair witnessed the participation of 35 companies. The elders were in the age group of 60-70 years, she said.