My silver collection is a cherished hobby, with roots that go back as far as my primary school years, when craft class introduced me to bead accessory creations, a class I enjoyed and looked forward to, which led to creating my own bead designs as a holiday pass time.
In high school I tyred to sell my designs, a well skilled craft, at this point I was faced with the value for money factor, although my designs where attractive but have little value in the market, because they where made with low cost beads.
My interest shifted to semi pressies stones and silver for an extra metallic touch to add value to the time consuming craft. Through constantly looking for the right silver pieces to add to my designs, I developed a Passion for silver it's self.
When I go shopping for my craft, I end up baying silver accessory for myself, as a student my collection was Small, when I started to earn a living, I was Abel to be more eclectic, adding pieces of accessory and ornaments that are elegant in style and value.
Today my interest in silver includ's a unique art in decorating silver, an art that is identified by an ethnic minority who live in the southern part of my country Iraq, The mandeans, followers of John the Baptist, who have lived in Iraq since before christianity and still do. The mandeans make their living from this unique art, by staining the silver object with a special aside using a specific concentration in order not to damage the silver it's self, creating beautiful floral and geometrical designs adding to traditional and historical landscape compositions.
The value of this art, is in the fact that the method of staining is a secret, passed on from father to son, not teaching it to outsiders to maintain the source of their livelihood.
with the current situation in my country that led many, like me, to immigrate to make a life in a peaceful land, also the young generation being educated developing interests in other Carrier paths, this art of silver staining is rear and may Di with the elders of the Mandean community. and that's whay I want to collect this art, maybe I' ll have enough to hold an exibition, you can only look you cannot buy ; )
6 Dec 2008
RSA .. The research and design journey
When I received a copy of the RSA project briefs, I found my self drawn to ( Action for Age ), because the need to meet the call for action hit close to home, the people who I love because they where a constant source of strength and support have aged with time and are too proud to admit they need emotional help.
Back home, some time in the 1990s, I was touched by a hometown story, a young man goes out of his whey every weekend to pick up his mother and go together to pick up a couple of her friends, taking them around town, stopping every now and then for refreshments, for them to enjoy an outing they have chosen with favored company, having the time of their life chatting and gossipping away with their Shoffer eavesdropping and joining in from time to time, this story caught the envious attention of others in the neighborhood., and that's how I got to hear about it.
Based on this story, I learned that the elders need affectionate attention, and by taking a ride on the Hop on Hop off Bus for tourists when I came to the U.K, it came to my attention that this trip can be enjoyable for the elderly, a drive around town in a bus equipped with services fit to meat the needs of the aged, the bus has special bus stops, and will pass by at specific timings, for the aged to hop on and of, and a final destination .... An elders center, that has services which interest the aged : ( Super market/ Hair dresser/Cafe'/ Diner/ Cinema that shows old movies ) and so on. Very quickly I found that the 1st obstacle will be finance, it's too costly.
Through talking to different age groups, contacts from friends and family, getting tips and feedback, I started to explore and collect information about local social services that are already there provided for the elderly community, reaching the conclusion: that there ARE events designed to involve the elders in a more active social life, so way is there a national problem, that the aged are still lonely and isolated and have no networking skills ?
MY questioning at this point:
* Do the elders know about those events ?
* Are those events interesting to the aged ?
* are the elders charged for attending an event ?
The 1st Chance I got for feedback from the elders in person, was a group of my mother a 70 year old and friends who are also in their 70s, Mr. John Cox A psycologist, was there and he had a lot of useful information, The elders hesitate in making a social attempt because:
* Lack of confidence, can't deal with a room full of people
* The old aged have short site, short memory, are set in their habits and don't like change.
* Afraid of falling down and breaking a bone
* Afraid of catching illness and contamination
* Those with a good education, have better aging years than those who don't, for both groups it's a continuation of a life style.
At this stage, I mapped out all my findings to put all the information out there and in matching groups, what leads to loneliness, isolation and lack of networking, to decide how to direct my next step, more questions to ask, mainly:
What is missing in those many services dedicated to the aged ?
I also mapped out some solutions on how to bring together the different age groups in society that are sponsored by the government: the elderly who are lonely and isolated with the young unemployed, who have alot of free time,by considering the young as hired help for the aged, both age groups have something to give to the other.
Another solution, is to put together several of the elderly needs in one offer : if you want one you'll have to do the other, as an example, if you want free heating units, you'll have to come and collect them as points every time you attend a social event, Later I backed out on this approach, because it was brought to my attention, that we must not take away free will and choice from an individual. I agree, when the target is the aging community, but in general, I believe that change comes through bold actions.
My next step was to approach organisations that are involved in catering for the aged, with questions based on my conversation with the elder group, such as: how was the event advertised, who paid for the cost and what where the attendance rates ?
Migrating minorities have difficulty in learning a new language.
Migrating minorities .....
Having family who came to the UK as immigrants, I know what it means to live far and away, developing an interest in visiting a familiar minority community, The Iraqi Association Gathering for the Aged.
The experience of meeting a bunch of people who where total strangers and have become friendly company looking forward to this weekly gathering, is evidence that migrating minorities are more comfortable in a familiar environment, it feeds their nostalgia. I also got some answers to my questions: ( What is missing in those many services dedicated to the aged ? )
- The social events are not constant, often a one time thing or, starts out as a regular event, then it's canceled due to lack of funds.
- organisers cannot keep their promise, causing lack of reliability.
- The need for constancy of events in familiar steady premises.
The meeting at ( Kingsbury Library Plus ) led to a new contact at Brent town hall which linked me to my next contact to farther enrich my resources, meeting the quality manager for the elderly community housing care at the Mahatma Ghandy house, a Brent Council division, a well informed authority figer, who had alot to do with my development of a solution, by directing the spotlight on all the vital realistic factors that effect any solution involving the aged.
* Financial priorities are directed at health, safety and security, leaving the social life to the attention of charities and donations.
* Self Motivation, the elders are living a continuation of a life style, Socially people do not open up to others
* Migrating minorities are not custom to white culture, therefor do not respond when a white culture activity is advertised, such as ( ball dancing )
At this point I decided I want to focus on loneliness, and try to make a difference in the life's of the elderly, by mapping out the missing links between the problem on the erderlies side and a solution that will make a lot of difference if adopted.
Now I must find a solution that is a mix and balance between the elderly needs and the practical available means.
It was at class, while explaning and discussing my findings with my tutors, that the 1st glimps of a solution came to me:
It needs to de afordable for the sponsors, ( at this stage I'm still considering two possibilities, the government or the individual supplyers ), the solution also needs to be functional: atractive and doabul for the elders.
The solution is a social service in a familiar friendly environment available and tempting to anybody given such a privilege.
A free of charge weekly gathering, at the local caffee, it's not costly and not hard to reach, the constancy and regularity create familiarity and reliability, to incurring the elders to make the initiative to make new friends, and get rid of loneliness.
Be a Friend :
where every elder individual ( those who are 50 years of age and above ) is invited to enjoy the privilege, to request a hot drink accompanied by something to eat, for the value of ( six Pounds ), supported by a visit credit card, that covers this value, issued by the government, ( the Borough Council ). This gathering will take place at one of the most visited friendly environments in every neighborhood .... The Local Caffe.
To find sponsors for this service, I went to some local caffees to find out what they think of taking part in funding a charity service and to get an idea about coffee and cake cost.
I Also took back a few steps in my research notes, to see who benefits from this as well as the elders ?
I found that the health service dedicated to the elders will benefit : for it's contribution in maintaining better health : Loneliness leads to Depression, which weakens the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to countless
illness attacks in type and frequency.
By providing this therapeutic service, that takes the form of a social activity, it will translated into : Less loneliness, less fiscal and mental health deterioration driven from depression, consequently decreasing the strain of costly health care consumed by the aged, by investing in a preventative solution.
This solution was approved by my course leader, and I started the branding process, it's about gathering elderly people around a hot drink, to get the chance to meet others they may never bump in to in their normal circles, although they may be next door neighbors !!!
My main aim is to trigger the interest to make new friends from within ... I Want to Be a Friend
A good friend is grand, strong and warm ... Red is all of that
I used the hand writing effect as part of the lout design, because it's a known fact that each of us leave a unique impression when we write by hand, like the unique impression we leave on each other when we mix and mingle, and that impression the decides for us to take it to the next level or not.
My course leader helped in refining my design
and the rest is history ; )
Back home, some time in the 1990s, I was touched by a hometown story, a young man goes out of his whey every weekend to pick up his mother and go together to pick up a couple of her friends, taking them around town, stopping every now and then for refreshments, for them to enjoy an outing they have chosen with favored company, having the time of their life chatting and gossipping away with their Shoffer eavesdropping and joining in from time to time, this story caught the envious attention of others in the neighborhood., and that's how I got to hear about it.
Based on this story, I learned that the elders need affectionate attention, and by taking a ride on the Hop on Hop off Bus for tourists when I came to the U.K, it came to my attention that this trip can be enjoyable for the elderly, a drive around town in a bus equipped with services fit to meat the needs of the aged, the bus has special bus stops, and will pass by at specific timings, for the aged to hop on and of, and a final destination .... An elders center, that has services which interest the aged : ( Super market/ Hair dresser/Cafe'/ Diner/ Cinema that shows old movies ) and so on. Very quickly I found that the 1st obstacle will be finance, it's too costly.
Through talking to different age groups, contacts from friends and family, getting tips and feedback, I started to explore and collect information about local social services that are already there provided for the elderly community, reaching the conclusion: that there ARE events designed to involve the elders in a more active social life, so way is there a national problem, that the aged are still lonely and isolated and have no networking skills ?
MY questioning at this point:
* Do the elders know about those events ?
* Are those events interesting to the aged ?
* are the elders charged for attending an event ?
The 1st Chance I got for feedback from the elders in person, was a group of my mother a 70 year old and friends who are also in their 70s, Mr. John Cox A psycologist, was there and he had a lot of useful information, The elders hesitate in making a social attempt because:
* Lack of confidence, can't deal with a room full of people
* The old aged have short site, short memory, are set in their habits and don't like change.
* Afraid of falling down and breaking a bone
* Afraid of catching illness and contamination
* Those with a good education, have better aging years than those who don't, for both groups it's a continuation of a life style.
At this stage, I mapped out all my findings to put all the information out there and in matching groups, what leads to loneliness, isolation and lack of networking, to decide how to direct my next step, more questions to ask, mainly:
What is missing in those many services dedicated to the aged ?
I also mapped out some solutions on how to bring together the different age groups in society that are sponsored by the government: the elderly who are lonely and isolated with the young unemployed, who have alot of free time,by considering the young as hired help for the aged, both age groups have something to give to the other.
Another solution, is to put together several of the elderly needs in one offer : if you want one you'll have to do the other, as an example, if you want free heating units, you'll have to come and collect them as points every time you attend a social event, Later I backed out on this approach, because it was brought to my attention, that we must not take away free will and choice from an individual. I agree, when the target is the aging community, but in general, I believe that change comes through bold actions.
My next step was to approach organisations that are involved in catering for the aged, with questions based on my conversation with the elder group, such as: how was the event advertised, who paid for the cost and what where the attendance rates ?
Migrating minorities have difficulty in learning a new language.
Migrating minorities .....
Having family who came to the UK as immigrants, I know what it means to live far and away, developing an interest in visiting a familiar minority community, The Iraqi Association Gathering for the Aged.
The experience of meeting a bunch of people who where total strangers and have become friendly company looking forward to this weekly gathering, is evidence that migrating minorities are more comfortable in a familiar environment, it feeds their nostalgia. I also got some answers to my questions: ( What is missing in those many services dedicated to the aged ? )
- The social events are not constant, often a one time thing or, starts out as a regular event, then it's canceled due to lack of funds.
- organisers cannot keep their promise, causing lack of reliability.
- The need for constancy of events in familiar steady premises.
The meeting at ( Kingsbury Library Plus ) led to a new contact at Brent town hall which linked me to my next contact to farther enrich my resources, meeting the quality manager for the elderly community housing care at the Mahatma Ghandy house, a Brent Council division, a well informed authority figer, who had alot to do with my development of a solution, by directing the spotlight on all the vital realistic factors that effect any solution involving the aged.
* Financial priorities are directed at health, safety and security, leaving the social life to the attention of charities and donations.
* Self Motivation, the elders are living a continuation of a life style, Socially people do not open up to others
* Migrating minorities are not custom to white culture, therefor do not respond when a white culture activity is advertised, such as ( ball dancing )
At this point I decided I want to focus on loneliness, and try to make a difference in the life's of the elderly, by mapping out the missing links between the problem on the erderlies side and a solution that will make a lot of difference if adopted.
Now I must find a solution that is a mix and balance between the elderly needs and the practical available means.
It was at class, while explaning and discussing my findings with my tutors, that the 1st glimps of a solution came to me:
It needs to de afordable for the sponsors, ( at this stage I'm still considering two possibilities, the government or the individual supplyers ), the solution also needs to be functional: atractive and doabul for the elders.
The solution is a social service in a familiar friendly environment available and tempting to anybody given such a privilege.
A free of charge weekly gathering, at the local caffee, it's not costly and not hard to reach, the constancy and regularity create familiarity and reliability, to incurring the elders to make the initiative to make new friends, and get rid of loneliness.
Be a Friend :
where every elder individual ( those who are 50 years of age and above ) is invited to enjoy the privilege, to request a hot drink accompanied by something to eat, for the value of ( six Pounds ), supported by a visit credit card, that covers this value, issued by the government, ( the Borough Council ). This gathering will take place at one of the most visited friendly environments in every neighborhood .... The Local Caffe.
To find sponsors for this service, I went to some local caffees to find out what they think of taking part in funding a charity service and to get an idea about coffee and cake cost.
I Also took back a few steps in my research notes, to see who benefits from this as well as the elders ?
I found that the health service dedicated to the elders will benefit : for it's contribution in maintaining better health : Loneliness leads to Depression, which weakens the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to countless
illness attacks in type and frequency.
By providing this therapeutic service, that takes the form of a social activity, it will translated into : Less loneliness, less fiscal and mental health deterioration driven from depression, consequently decreasing the strain of costly health care consumed by the aged, by investing in a preventative solution.
This solution was approved by my course leader, and I started the branding process, it's about gathering elderly people around a hot drink, to get the chance to meet others they may never bump in to in their normal circles, although they may be next door neighbors !!!
My main aim is to trigger the interest to make new friends from within ... I Want to Be a Friend
A good friend is grand, strong and warm ... Red is all of that
I used the hand writing effect as part of the lout design, because it's a known fact that each of us leave a unique impression when we write by hand, like the unique impression we leave on each other when we mix and mingle, and that impression the decides for us to take it to the next level or not.
My course leader helped in refining my design
and the rest is history ; )
2 Dec 2008
30 Nov 2008
Be a Friend ... The Branding Icon
I chose Red, because it's Grand, Strong and Warm, and that's what makes a good Friend.This final icon is driven from the first one, if illustrating expressions gives them a funny look, then a profile is more grand.
29 Nov 2008
Creating the Logo
This is my 1st attempt to tern words ( Be a Friend ) into an icon, the elders of our community, cumming together around a hot drink, to enjoy each others company.
the feed back I got from my Course leader, is that it represents children, not the elders, who are the Target of this service.So, I will carry on, searching for the right icon
25 Nov 2008
Be a Friend ... The convenience, Benefits and logistics
* It costs ( £25 ) only, per month, per elder.
* No need to rent, bay or build new premises for this new service.
* The premises where the gathering takes place is already there in every village, town and city .... The local Caf'e.
* It's furnished, lit and heated.
* Every body in town know the location and no need to travel far to reach.
* The gathering happens in midday, accessible to every one.
* Yong people run the caf'e, can give a lending hand to the elderly when needed.
* The caf'e is still open to other age groups, which will contribute to bridging the gap of age in society.
* all local caf'es are included, getting the benefit of serving regular costumers at a part of the day that was usually quiet.
The logistics
How to make this service practical ? !!
* Instead of vouchers, it's a visit credit card, like an oyster card.
* An electronic device that identifies the card is supplied by the Borough Council to all caffes.
through this method, if the elders looses the card, they did not loose the credit, it's preserved in the data system, the card can be replaced.
* The credit of one visit a week is transferable, if the elders forgets to come this week, they can come in next week with a younger friend or family, it's all about a more active social life.
* the restriction of one credit cash in is only on the first Monday, to make sure that the elder makes a weekly outing, only if they forget this week, they can invite another next week.
* The credit is not transferable from one month to another, this whey we can save the government some money.
* Every year,through the post, every elder will receive a calender with promoting reminders all year:
- the general color is red, that will always catch the eye
- Every Monday is labeled with the Be a Friend logo
- Every month displays active tempting caffee life for the elders
- Photographs of different caffee entrances with the Be a Friend logo, with the slogan : Just look for the sign and you'll know where to go, for the elders to identify the meaning.
* Some times there are ( 5 ) Mondays in one month, this might happen twice a year, so that's an extra ( 12 ) pounds a year per elder.
* No need to rent, bay or build new premises for this new service.
* The premises where the gathering takes place is already there in every village, town and city .... The local Caf'e.
* It's furnished, lit and heated.
* Every body in town know the location and no need to travel far to reach.
* The gathering happens in midday, accessible to every one.
* Yong people run the caf'e, can give a lending hand to the elderly when needed.
* The caf'e is still open to other age groups, which will contribute to bridging the gap of age in society.
* all local caf'es are included, getting the benefit of serving regular costumers at a part of the day that was usually quiet.
The logistics
How to make this service practical ? !!
* Instead of vouchers, it's a visit credit card, like an oyster card.
* An electronic device that identifies the card is supplied by the Borough Council to all caffes.
through this method, if the elders looses the card, they did not loose the credit, it's preserved in the data system, the card can be replaced.
* The credit of one visit a week is transferable, if the elders forgets to come this week, they can come in next week with a younger friend or family, it's all about a more active social life.
* the restriction of one credit cash in is only on the first Monday, to make sure that the elder makes a weekly outing, only if they forget this week, they can invite another next week.
* The credit is not transferable from one month to another, this whey we can save the government some money.
* Every year,through the post, every elder will receive a calender with promoting reminders all year:
- the general color is red, that will always catch the eye
- Every Monday is labeled with the Be a Friend logo
- Every month displays active tempting caffee life for the elders
- Photographs of different caffee entrances with the Be a Friend logo, with the slogan : Just look for the sign and you'll know where to go, for the elders to identify the meaning.
* Some times there are ( 5 ) Mondays in one month, this might happen twice a year, so that's an extra ( 12 ) pounds a year per elder.
24 Nov 2008
Be a Friend
Investing in a preventative solution
The solution I'm suggesting to address loneliness, as part of the RSA ( Action for Age ) project:
Be a Friend, is a social service that contributes to relieving the elderly of loneliness and it's side effects towards a healthier life style. By providing a weekly free of charge visit, to an afternoon ( 2 - 4 pm ) gathering, where every elder individual ( those who are 50 years of age and above ) is invited to enjoy the privilege to request a hot drink accompanied by something to eat, for the value of ( six Pounds ), supported by a visit credit card, that covers this value, issued by the government, ( the Borough Council ).
This gathering will take place at one of the most visited friendly environments in every neighborhood .... The Local Caffe.
This privilege is national, involving every local caffe at a unified date and time, the funding budget for this service is part of the health budget dedicated to the aged, for it's contribution in maintaining better health : Loneliness leads to Depression, which weakens the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to countless illness attacks in type and frequency.
By providing this therapeutic service, that takes the form of a social activity, it will translated into : Less loneliness, less fiscal and mental health deterioration driven from depression, consequently decreasing the strain of costly health care consumed by the aged, by investing in a preventative solution.
The solution I'm suggesting to address loneliness, as part of the RSA ( Action for Age ) project:
Be a Friend, is a social service that contributes to relieving the elderly of loneliness and it's side effects towards a healthier life style. By providing a weekly free of charge visit, to an afternoon ( 2 - 4 pm ) gathering, where every elder individual ( those who are 50 years of age and above ) is invited to enjoy the privilege to request a hot drink accompanied by something to eat, for the value of ( six Pounds ), supported by a visit credit card, that covers this value, issued by the government, ( the Borough Council ).
This gathering will take place at one of the most visited friendly environments in every neighborhood .... The Local Caffe.
This privilege is national, involving every local caffe at a unified date and time, the funding budget for this service is part of the health budget dedicated to the aged, for it's contribution in maintaining better health : Loneliness leads to Depression, which weakens the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to countless illness attacks in type and frequency.
By providing this therapeutic service, that takes the form of a social activity, it will translated into : Less loneliness, less fiscal and mental health deterioration driven from depression, consequently decreasing the strain of costly health care consumed by the aged, by investing in a preventative solution.
18 Nov 2008
The Man With Kaleidoscope Eyes
I was so fascinated by Alan Aldridge's work, I had to by the book, no matter how close and long I looked, it wasn't enough.
I loved the fiery storey drawings, they remind me of the good old days, when I look at similar images while listening to a bed time story, unfortunately the image I liked most was not in the book, it was of a Forrest, if you take a step back you will be able to see the impression of a face formed by all the forest details.
His dark work is a magnet, you just can't walk away without taking a good long look
I also like this tower that appears as part of the album cover illustrated especially for Elton John's Fantastic LP, using the different curves of the guitar instrument, to build an architectural form, creating from which, parts of the tower that are familiar to our eye in any building, in such a whey, that you can't help but say, Alan Aldridge earned the name he made for him self
At the V&A's cold war exhibition, what attracted my attention was a chair design : taking the shape of the latter ( P ), with it's stem horizontally down the whey, and the curve of the ( P ) not locked, to be covered withe a leather belt to complete the design, it was based on a part of the car engine, by re assigning the function of this shape and belt, and creating a modern furniture design.
I found this very inspiring , in teaching us to look at whats around us in a different whey, and by re assigning the functions , we as designers, create new solutions
13 Nov 2008
starbucks donation activities
I approached Starbucks caffe in harrow town center last Wednesday, and
had quite an informative conversation with Branch Manager Miss
Katerina, who tolled me that Starbucks has on several occasions
donated time, space and merchandise to charity activities that where
helled in collaborated with this branch, such as schools, hospitals
and MIND for better mental health.
This will benefit my suggestion of a weekly town caffe gathering for
the elderly when it comes to funding solutions
Life
Hi ....
Just wanted to share with you all ....
This is what I see every day from my bedroom window ...
It reminds me every day that Life is meant to be beautiful, it's our choices that add to it, or take away from it ..
Have A Nice Day
Just wanted to share with you all ....
This is what I see every day from my bedroom window ...
It reminds me every day that Life is meant to be beautiful, it's our choices that add to it, or take away from it ..
Have A Nice Day
11 Nov 2008
100 words are not enough
Only the lonely ............
Will not include the elderly anymore
By choosing to be dedicated to the RSA project ( Action for age ), regarding the elderly social issues which have led a considerable chunk of our community towards isolation, loneliness ( with little contact, interest and knowledge of their outer world ), that it has become a national priority ( at least in the future thinking levels of command ).
It became my mission the past several weeks, to seek detailed related information, data and facts through discussion with concerned and involved channels, adding to interviewing the elderly in person as groups and individuals.
I find myself interested in making a difference in the lives of the elderly , ( although those who are in their 50s have objected to being categorised as such, in the U.K, it's official that all those who are 50 years of age and on, are eligible to clime benefits designed for the aged ).
My root of interest, is finding a solution that meets the aged personal constant need to ( meeting friendly people of similar interests on regular biases, who will ... with time, become friendly faces with the possibility of developing new friendships, in a manner that is not costly or hard to reach and maintain.
On an official level, it's a little more complex, the elderly are sponsored by the government, taking the responsibility of meeting the more persisting needs : health, security and safety.
consequently the funding of social events has been compromised, leaving it up to charity organizations to arrange and carry out.
The final out come to this situation : the inability to fund constant events on regular bases, scattered activities here and there every now and then, not well promoted to the target audience, leading to lack of knowledge and reliability, low attendance rate ... the elderly are still lonely, being more vulnerable to psychological ( depression ) related health deterioration.
The solution I'd like to suggest ... addresses the growing effects and side effects of loneliness, that are observed on the elderly .. a chunk of our community that is growing in number as WE grow older.
ON A NATIONAL LEVEL .. all over the UK, a service is introduced, a coffee house chain or two, that are identified as a familiar place to meet in every hometown, commit to holding a 2 hour twice a week afternoon friendly gathering for the elderly, not more than twice a week, to increase the chance that the same people come in at the same time, a frequent attendance that will turn strange faces to familiar ones, incurring friendly attempts to come closer , engage in conversation, similar interests will make them look forward to next time, time after time, friendships will develop, having a more active social life, the elderly are no longer lonely.
my rough sketch ... pictures the gathering being ... held between ( 2 - 4 ) p.m every Monday and Thursday at the town caffee.
Promoting this new service starts with a focus campaign, through the media on a national level, and on a local level, at the coffee house, there will be posters and reminding flyers handed out, adding to the event being mentioned regularly in publications that are devoted to the elderly on monthly bases that are already in the government system of communication.
other ideas can be developed as the need for them is evident.
Will not include the elderly anymore
By choosing to be dedicated to the RSA project ( Action for age ), regarding the elderly social issues which have led a considerable chunk of our community towards isolation, loneliness ( with little contact, interest and knowledge of their outer world ), that it has become a national priority ( at least in the future thinking levels of command ).
It became my mission the past several weeks, to seek detailed related information, data and facts through discussion with concerned and involved channels, adding to interviewing the elderly in person as groups and individuals.
I find myself interested in making a difference in the lives of the elderly , ( although those who are in their 50s have objected to being categorised as such, in the U.K, it's official that all those who are 50 years of age and on, are eligible to clime benefits designed for the aged ).
My root of interest, is finding a solution that meets the aged personal constant need to ( meeting friendly people of similar interests on regular biases, who will ... with time, become friendly faces with the possibility of developing new friendships, in a manner that is not costly or hard to reach and maintain.
On an official level, it's a little more complex, the elderly are sponsored by the government, taking the responsibility of meeting the more persisting needs : health, security and safety.
consequently the funding of social events has been compromised, leaving it up to charity organizations to arrange and carry out.
The final out come to this situation : the inability to fund constant events on regular bases, scattered activities here and there every now and then, not well promoted to the target audience, leading to lack of knowledge and reliability, low attendance rate ... the elderly are still lonely, being more vulnerable to psychological ( depression ) related health deterioration.
The solution I'd like to suggest ... addresses the growing effects and side effects of loneliness, that are observed on the elderly .. a chunk of our community that is growing in number as WE grow older.
ON A NATIONAL LEVEL .. all over the UK, a service is introduced, a coffee house chain or two, that are identified as a familiar place to meet in every hometown, commit to holding a 2 hour twice a week afternoon friendly gathering for the elderly, not more than twice a week, to increase the chance that the same people come in at the same time, a frequent attendance that will turn strange faces to familiar ones, incurring friendly attempts to come closer , engage in conversation, similar interests will make them look forward to next time, time after time, friendships will develop, having a more active social life, the elderly are no longer lonely.
my rough sketch ... pictures the gathering being ... held between ( 2 - 4 ) p.m every Monday and Thursday at the town caffee.
Promoting this new service starts with a focus campaign, through the media on a national level, and on a local level, at the coffee house, there will be posters and reminding flyers handed out, adding to the event being mentioned regularly in publications that are devoted to the elderly on monthly bases that are already in the government system of communication.
other ideas can be developed as the need for them is evident.
5 Nov 2008
Mr. Johhn Shanker
I met Mr. John Shanker quality manager for the elderly community housing care at the Mahatma Ghandy house , a Brent Council division.
Mr. Shanker was very jeneros in going into deep details of all the problems and disadvantages that lead to the elderly being lonely:
* Week Family relations
* common Family structure
* Continuity of life style
* Socially people do not open up to others
* Migrating minorities are not custom to white culture, therefor do not respond when a white culture activity is advertised, such as ( ball dancing )
* Migrating minorities have difficulty in learning a new language, they end up communicating with family members and own community only, in many cases are not available in the same neighborhood.
Some of the disadvantages that add to the growing problem of old age loneliness, lack of funds leads to, the social life of an elderly being last on the list of Borough councils priorities.
Leaving it up to charity organisations and the occasional free service providers, to arrange a social activity designed for the elderly every now and then, concentrating on annual festival season.
upon which I Base my new solutions mapping them out below
I mapped out on several drafts all the obstacles that lead to the elderly being lonely. and opposite each problem I'm proposing a solution.
My final conclusions are as follows:
The elderly are sponsored by the government in all their needs, therefor the Borough Council ( which represents the government in every community ), is a meager player in any solution that targets the aged, it provides authority, reliability and constancy to any solution.
The borough council's funding budget is invested in supplying the aged with their basic important needs : safety, security and health, social activities are not considered a priority, the organization of such, are left to charity organizations, the result is they are in consistent and scattered in frequency.
Promoting the events, happens through the Borough channels of communication :
* On the web sit : most of the elderly are not Internet friendly.
* Mentioned in the Borough publications, they appear as a hint in small print amongst many subjects on a page, often missed by a short sited elderly.
* Flyers reaching the homes of the elderly, again, the promoted event is in small print, embedded in a poorly designed template that fail to attract the attention of the target audience .. and remain in the short term memory of (The Elderly ).
* Locally advertised on location ( where the event will be held, on a future date ), A4 paper size posters, in small print and too much information on a small layout.
which has largely contributed to the fact that these activities are as good as non, the evidence that backs up this conclusion, the low attendance rate that has been reported by the local organizers, for there is no record of such in the Borough Data Base, for it's un-importance.
I also mentioned to Mr. Shanker my findings through meeting with the elderly on several occasions that, they are old, not disabled, they would like to go some where to do something and not just be entertained, going back to the work force is not a bad idea, voluntary work is another thing to consider.
BACK TO MY MAP OF SOLUTIONS
INVEST ... as described in the Oxford Dictionary, spend money, time or effort on something that will be useful, confer a rank, office or power upon ( a person ), endow with a quality.
And that's what I'm suggesting to the sponsors in our community .....
INVEST ... In :
* Increasing the number of social workers in every Borough Council.
To decrease the load of responsibility on each worker which will enhance the quality of their performance by giving more time for each elderly case.
The social worker will closely scan all the elderly who fall under their authority to fined common interests, to bring them together in small group gatherings that will be organised amongst them self's, with the constant observation of the social worker to resolve any obstacles that may appear.
Some of those elderly are more able than others, by encouraging the able to take notice and show care for the disabled, we are encouraging voluntary work by those who are of similar circumstances.
* Scholarships to encourage social studies.
Inorder to increase the interest and awareness of the importance of fine tuning our community.
Part of the grant Ground rules, is to commit to serving the community for double the course length period, by this there will always be enough social workers serving the system.
* Create a unified short term promotion template, that assigns one color of the rainbow to each day of the week.
This template will advertise an event only one week in advance, will take different layout : posters, flyer's, vouchers, what ever is needed, and will contain : the event, it's location, date and time.
This template will be used by all who want to advertise an event involving the elderly, Borough Council divisions and 3rd party charity organizations.
This method will aid the alder's lack of knowledge, short site and short term memory.
By knowing about an event one week ahead, and remembering the day ( through the template color ) on weekly bases.
* collaborating with 3rd party organisers and service providers, such as:
- caf'es
- Hair dressers and barbers
- air lines
- restaurants
- department store and supermarkets
By partially funding an event or service, the Borough Council can oblige the ( organiser/ service provider ) :
- to commit to providing the event or service for at least 6 months, which will build a bridge of reliability.
- to commit to using the promotion template mentioned above.
All the mentioned above is designed to help the elderly in remembering the events and services that are created to improve their social life and have healthier ageing years.
30 Oct 2008
Narrowing down the roots of interest
All through last week I was invested in making contacts with people that have a role or interest in the life's of the elderly, reaching the decision that I want to take part in making a difference in decreasing the effect of loneliness.
Through chatting with several elderly man and women, and discussing with the executives that are already dealing with this matter, I'v found that their general comments pour in five maim streams:
* familiar environment
* familiar faces (company)
* constancy of events and locations
* steady flow of funding
* convenient timing and locations
In my opinion .. society is a net , one problem is the result of other complications and obstacles, so in order to solve the problem, we must address the outer obstacles, that will in turn contribute to resolving the main problem, some of which are:
* lack of self motivation ............ can be approached through alluring offers
* Lack of knowledge .. due to short term old aged memory ............ can be approached with short term promotions
* Lack of funding ..... still thinking about it ... funding is not only money
29 Oct 2008
The Iraqi Association Gathering for the Aged
Which is held twice a week, one on Monday and the other on Tuesday, I visited The event on Tuesday in Hammersmith, about half the members came, which is considered positive, the event included a ticket lottery to an exhibition, then some information concerning the community was presented by one of the organizers, At noon everybody had lunch together.
Talking to Mr. Nu'man & Mrs. Ther who are members in the association , their observations included the need for stable center premises for the community, and regular funding.
talking to the members themselves, I got mixed feed back, most of them live with siblings and grandchildren, so the loneliness is not at home. It's more like nostalgia, living away from their hometown, obliged to immigrate at a later age, living with the motion that they might not go back to live the life they miss, again.
As for the elders opinions, in the social event activities for the elders in general, it was mentioned amongst several comments, going to multi national local events was not favored, because of clusters of similar ethnic groups start to form, leaving a person feeling uncomfortable and not want to respond to similar activities in future.
One of the ladies mentioned that she attempted to create a friendship with her neighbor, but the culture differences where disappointing, leaving them more comfortable to mix with their own community, they wish for familiar environment and company adding to Constancy.
Visiting an Elderly coffee morning
Last Tuesday Kingsbury library plus helled a coffee morning for the elderly.
The program included a group of invited guests led by Elsa Perez to talk about Caribbean & African dance,
the group & guests took part in demonstrating the dance.
It was quite interesting to fined that the library is being creative in their services.
Later on talking to Mr. Dave & Mrs. Ann about the Raoul of the library in the local town community, I found a variety of events, for the elderly is the coffee morning, with intentions to improve the event in future, the staff where very welcoming and cooperative.
The program included a group of invited guests led by Elsa Perez to talk about Caribbean & African dance,
the group & guests took part in demonstrating the dance.
It was quite interesting to fined that the library is being creative in their services.
Later on talking to Mr. Dave & Mrs. Ann about the Raoul of the library in the local town community, I found a variety of events, for the elderly is the coffee morning, with intentions to improve the event in future, the staff where very welcoming and cooperative.
Action for Age .. 1st Brainstorming Research Map
Starting the process of research by putting all the factors that effect the elderly to be lonely, isolated and lack of networking skills .. such as:
* Partners and friends pass away
*Support of organizations associations and funding
*Cercumstaces of events:
- Location
- Timming
- promotions
- facilities
- Cost
* The elderly:
- motivation
- Health matters
- Confidence
- interest
- Gender
- Language barrio
- Culture clash
I'm just putting all the Jigsaw puzzle pieces out, and in matching groups to sort them out.
15 Oct 2008
The inventor of Graphic design
Impressionism is a term that designates the work of a group of artists who shared a desire for artistic independence and an allegiance to modern expression. Formed in the last quarter of the 19th century
Scenes of Parisian nightlife ( cafés, circuses, and cabarets ) were often the subject of Impressionist paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, which caught the attention of those who are interested in promoting Parisian nightlife, it was his invention to simplify shades and separate colors onto tamplets ti enable the production of many copies , is what led to the birth of Graphic Design
He who created Graphic Design
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
many critics would classify Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as a post-Impressionist, he shared many of the same interests as the traditional Impressionists.
Responding to the request to promote urban Parisian night lifestyle, it was his ability to siplify shadowes and seperate colors on to tamplets in order to meat the demand of producing multipol copies is what led to the birth of graphic design.
many critics would classify Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as a post-Impressionist, he shared many of the same interests as the traditional Impressionists.
Responding to the request to promote urban Parisian night lifestyle, it was his ability to siplify shadowes and seperate colors on to tamplets in order to meat the demand of producing multipol copies is what led to the birth of graphic design.
13 Oct 2008
Autumn is another thing .. every time I see .. I see something new
Autumn is another thing .. because of all the colors, every time thy come in a different combination, but always in stunning harmony, I often stop what I'm doing to look at nature for inspiration
Things every time I look at .. I see something new
Thought I'll start my blog with things I like, this is what's called ( the marshes ) .. in arabic ( AHWAR ), it's in the south of Iraq where the two rivers ( the Tigris and Euphratis meet, forming a mixture of water and land taking the shape of small islands, each is a home for a family or several families, creating an illusion of huttes built on water .. I'd say it's the Iraqi Venis , to me this is a stunning place I'd love to have had the chance to visit, maybe one day, it's one of the Things every time I look at .. I see something new
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