I recently came across a video depicting an elderly woman lying on a mattress in a house void of furniture. According to the accompanying caption, she shared the home with her husband.
The footage pulled at my heart’s string because up until then, I was aware of the underprivileged in the Sultanate but never realised they live in such decrepit conditions.
My question is: Are we doing enough to help the less-fortunate in our society?
While there are a number of funds set up to help the needy, I’m worried that there are a fair few who slip through the cracks because they haven’t the resources to draw attention to their dire state.
It’s been two years since COVID-19 hit our shores. We have been hyper-focussed on getting through the health crisis. As a result, we have put a lid once again on local transmissions and prevented a lot of deaths and sufferings. It is something to celebrate.
However, the issue of poverty is still with us. It was here before the pandemic hit and it is certainly still here, despite countless efforts to tackle unemployment and assist the underprivileged.
Our drive towards digitalisation is both a blessing and a curse. It has allowed us to practise social and physical distancing effectively; yet it also means the older generation is left to play catch-up to a world that is growing more technological.
While the elderly in the middle class have their children to depend on, to help with the acquisition of smartphones, which have grown in significance in this pandemic, their peers in the underclass are ignored and overlooked due to their lack of digital access.
As such, I urge the authorities as well as our society to attend to these underprivileged members in our community. Just because they are not on social media doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
Exasperated Soul
