Zaharra is a residential home, as well as a day centre for older people, providing services as individual support, organising creative ateliers and tricycle experience. Their team includes a psychologist, an assistant, occupational therapist, psychomotor therapist and art therapist.

At Zaharra, they listen to their beneficiaries, study what troubles them and select activities to improve their well-being. Why not to do it in a creative way? Tricycle experience happens to be one of such activities. It is a unique activity thanks to which elderly people can enjoy a careless ride while young volunteers drive them.

Cultivating the connection between young and elderly people

At UFB, we were very enthusiastic about helping Zaharra purchase an electric tricycle. We believe that getting old can be challenging as older people often face solitude. Quite often they are considered of no use to society anymore due to their health issues and deteriorating physical condition. But as the old African proverb states,

“A youth that doesn’t cultivate friendship with the elderly is like a tree without roots”.

Elderly people are a true source of wisdom and inspiration. It is our responsibility to ensure them decent living conditions and break their isolation. Loneliness can strongly impact health and well-being, provoking serious illnesses. Seniors will feel less distress when not abandoned.

“UFB’s support made our project possible: we were able to buy this electric bike! Without them, without their generous support, our dream of getting elderly people out of isolation and allowing them to find their place in society would not have been possible. So thank you very much, thank you for believing in our project!” Julie Larrieu, psychomotor therapist, project manager

Thanks to your generosity United Fund for Belgium can provide financial support to these meaningful projects. The tricycle doesn’t only help bridge a gap between young and old generations, but simply make seniors feel integrated.

Our mutual efforts can make our society more inclusive. By supporting concrete projects, we enable beneficiaries be part of the society and enjoy. Make your donation to support our cause and help us finance such unique social integration projects.