On the occasion of Mother’s Day, the Mexican association Amigos de los Mayores has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the social isolation of the elderly, especially elderly women.
Mother’s Day in Mexico, which is celebrated on May 10, is becoming a national holiday. As a proof, at the national education level, Mother’s Day has become a holiday, in place of another holiday, the 5th of May, date of commemoration of the battle of Puebla, won over the French in 1862.
So, on May 10, everyone goes out to buy flowers to give to their mothers, sold by day traders who set up shop in the streets with a board and two trestles. However, not all mothers are lucky enough to have children near them on that day, let alone to be offered a bouquet of flowers.
Every year, the number of single-person households increases and the elderly, mainly women, are left alone in their homes. Children leave home at an increasingly young age, some migrate to the north of the country or go to the United States illegally and cannot return. Sometimes, alcoholism or drug problems destroy families, making elderly family members collateral victims of this disintegration.
For this reason, this year, the association Amigos de los Mayores – México has carried out a campaign to raise awareness among the Mexican population about the social isolation that thousands of mothers, aged 60 and over, experience during the day that is normally dedicated to them.
The campaign was called “Regalamos flores a nuestros mayores” which means “Let’s give flowers to our elders”. The promotion of this campaign was done on social networks, and by word of mouth in the neighborhood where the association acts.
“In all, 32 donors took part in the campaign, and thanks to them we were able to offer more than 80 bouquets of roses and other floral arrangements to the elderly people we support, who on that day were all alone,” says Cathel Dumont, head of the association.
In compliance with the sanitary measures in force, the association gave them a bouquet of flowers, as well as a box containing small handmade soaps, made by one of the volunteers. “It was a very pleasant morning spent in excellent company, and in a few days we will reopen the doors of the San Agustin Day Care Center (which allows the elderly to come and spend some time, socialize and do creative or physical activities). After more than a year of closure, the association will be able to welcome back the “old friends”, who have received their two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine and are more than ready to return”. says Cathel Dumont.
Photo credit: Amigos de los Mayores Mexico
