Welcome to Proze MWA
WHAT DO WE DO?
We collect stories and dreams of older people around the island and then share it on our platform…
WHY?
We are using a different approach to combat ageism and increased stereotypes and stigma around older individuals. Ageing does not prevent you from dreaming, growing, learning and giving. The project is about connection, growth and hope. It teaches us to also look deeper than just what we see. To find the stories and the dreams around us and not forget our older individuals and the valuable role they play in society…
The MWA (I AM) project wants to use a different approach to combat ageism and increased stereotypes and stigma around older individuals. By bringing together people of different ages and having conversations about their lives and dreams, we want to showcase that young and older can learn from each other and dream together. Ageing does not prevent you from dreaming, growing, learning and giving. The project is about connection, growth and hope. It teaches us to also look deeper than just what we see. To find the stories and the dreams around us and not forget our older individuals and the valuable role they play in society.
OUR STORY SO FAR…
We have connected with two care homes on the island for sessions on sharing stories and dreams. Where possible we connected older individuals with younger individuals from schools close by, otherwise we connected the caregivers and the older individuals to get to know each other better. We then made videos of some of these individuals dreams and shared it on social media, encouraging the older generation of Mauritius to continue growing and dreaming and also to show younger generations how their perceptions of older people can sometimes be very stereotyped. We ended off with Dream Tree Festivals at the care homes where everyone in the home participated in writing down their dreams and hanging it on a tree as a symbol of hope. We had true celebrations of life with ice-cream and biscuits and barbecues and beautiful music.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THIS PROJECT?
There are three ways to support the project:
You can make a donation (even as little as a rupee) on our Crowdfund page.
When you contribute you give an opportunity for:
Training for support workers during the project and care workers at the various care homes.
A story or dream of an older individual to be shared virtually – showing their value and contribution.
Making more videos that will be used to encourage people across the island to connect with older individuals and to learn from their stories.
Different events to talk about ageism, educating and empowering older individuals.
Sponsoring a “Dream Tree” as a symbol of hope that will be put up at the care homes.
You can share stories of older individuals that you know or your own story if you are a senior citizen of Mauritius. We hope you are inspired to connect and go and share stories!
Become a volunteer! And assist us with some of the various events and projects we run throughout the year.