A Meaningful Learning Experience through Group SALT with Elders

[Manika Kunwar]

During our individual SALT visits, one day while walking around, we reached a temple near our office. At the temple, we saw a group of elderly men and women sitting together and singing bhajans. Curious about them, we asked how long they had been coming there. Some said two years, while others shared that they had been coming for three years. Listening to their stories and experiences, we felt inspired and developed a strong desire to conduct a SALT session with them. After returning to the office, we discussed this idea with our team. Following the discussion, we decided to organize a group SALT session with the elderly group.

A few days later, we revisited the temple. They were again engaged in bhajan singing. We approached one of the elders and explained our intention to conduct a session and asked if they could give us about three hours of their time. He gladly agreed and even suggested that we come the very next day. The following day, we returned to the temple and humbly shared that we had come to learn from them. During the check in part, we asked them what made them happiest. They shared that since the day they joined the temple group, every week has been filled with joy and peace. Singing bhajans and spending three hours in devotion to God brought them great happiness.

As we moved into the SALT conversation, we asked a question: “What have you done for your family that makes you feel proud?” Initially, they hesitated to open up, as not everyone had the same family situation some had tensions at home, while others had different struggles. However, gradually they became comfortable and began sharing their life stories, hardships, and the sacrifices they made for their families.Their stories were deeply touching and inspiring. At the end of the session, we asked for their feedback. They expressed great happiness and said that although they regularly meet to sing bhajans, they had never had such meaningful conversations together before. They appreciated our effort and encouraged us to continue such programs. They also shared an important concern: the younger generation today is becoming less connected to traditional culture and values. Seeing us engage with them gave them hope. They requested us to pass on what we have learned from them to the younger generation.

Learning and Reflection

From this group SALT experience, we learned that: The influence of Western culture is increasing among the younger generation. Elderly people carry deep emotions, experiences, and sometimes unspoken pain. There is a strong need to bridge the gap between generations. Valuable life lessons can be learned from older generations who have rich experiences.

This was not just a program for us, but a powerful learning experience. It helped us understand society more deeply and inspired us to contribute towards positive social change.

[santosh bishowkarma]

what a situation waaaaa    hooooooo

[Sandhya Bhandari]

We really enjoyed there with them while doing group SALT with an elderly people.