Saturday and Sunday was really a nightmare for us.....no wonder I got fever last night and high blood pressure but anyway I am feeling better today and able to open this email. For us here in Hospicio, the flood on the first floor was until my armpit level.

At around 5 PM of Saturday, water was above kneel level so we had to evacuate the babies and the children who are all housed on the first floor to whatever vacant rooms there were on the 2nd floor for the kids and in the 3rd floor conference room for the babies and pre-schoolers.

Then at 2 AM when water got higher all our male personnel transferred the elderly to the lobby area of our dormitories in the 2nd and 3rd floors. They looked like evacuees. We pitied their situation but there was no other room available to contain all of them on higher level.

For us, Sisters we were also stranded in the 2nd floor except for some of us who had to wade in the muddy waters to mobilize things around. A lot of furnitures and some documents in our offices were damaged. The flood waters was only able to subside when electricity was returned around noon of Sunday because our flood control pumps were able to work. But now, we're still cleaning up the debris and the mud brought about by the flood and drying up some documents and furnitures that we can still save, if ever. The problem however is that we don't have water in all of our tanks because the water pumps got submerged on water. We still cannot restore all electricity in the house because of wet sockets.

Some of our stocks in the stock room were also damaged by the flood. It is a good thing that we were able to save our rice but diapers of children and elderly were all soaked. We just pray that no one will get sick especially among those who had to wade to save lives. We were faced with the danger of water snakes and the urine of rats which were all so deadly but thanks be to God we're still okay. The children and elderly were all prohibited to go down and wade on the waters. Thanks for your concern. Please continue praying for us. They say there's another storm coming in.

It is a hectic time for COSE as obviously many of their own staff is affected. Fortunately COSE's office doesn't seem to be flooded as most (or all) of their staff are in COSE's office now. Houses of Nine COSE staff were totally damaged. It was really fortunate that some of us run outside the gate of the subdivision and went to the higher place. 2 staff and their families went up to the roof and stayed there for almost 8 hours but we are grateful we are all safe.

The COSE team are hoping to get into the field to distribute food, water and other essentials. People are still living in community shelters. It will take weeks before they can clean their houses and live in it. Fortunately food and water is available tin the large super markets. COSE is buying these for distribution. Once people get back to their homes, they will immediately need some basic items such as beds blankets, and some clothing. Hopefully they will be able to recover their cooking utensils otherwise that also will need to be provided. There will be a lot of need for shelter repairs and other support as time goes by too.

Actually older people and the children are the most vulnerable. In our subdivision itself, some of those who died were older people because they were trapped and they couldn’t climb the roof.

Many of the project areas are really affected and they need immediate support. The leaders of older people and the COSE staff will have a meeting this afternoon to plan out how we will help older people in this situation. Actually older people and the children are the most vulnerable. In our subdivision itself, some of those who died were older people because they were trapped and they couldn’t climb the roof. We had a meeting to set up committees to solicit, to list the neediest, to pack and to deliver—all this to occur within two days. First distribution will be on the International Day of the Elderly and will continue throughout the week—as long as we can maintain the cycle. The other part is to mobilize areas, less hit to share with areas in deep trouble. We have done this before and it reinforces the strength of the group.

I met a wonderful woman in Hanoi, Vietnam. She is called Miss Mua and she is 64 years old. She looks after her six year old granddaughter. Her two sons are living with HIV. One of them – the father of her granddaughter - is in prison for drug smuggling. The other one is in a rehab centre for drug use.

Miss Mua is a member of Sponsor a Grandparent’s Empathy Club for people infected and affected by HIV. The club was set up by the Vietnam Women’s Union. Miss Mua says ‘I really wanted to join so I could share my experiences with others in similar circumstances, so I could support them and they could support me.’

The club is invaluable because it provides a space for people like Miss Mua to meet others like her. They feel less isolated and more able to talk freely about their circumstances. The clubs raise awareness about how to prevent HIV transmission; how to care for those who are living with HIV; and how to care for children orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS.

The clubs raise awareness about how to prevent HIV transmission; how to care for those who are living with HIV; and how to care for children orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS.

The club has also developed an innovative way of raising money to help pay for home care visits to people living with HIV. It has taught older people, like Miss Mua, to make balloon ‘sculptures’, which they then sell to the public in local parks at weekends or on public holidays. It only costs 500 dong (two pence) for five balloons which can make an animal: this can then be sold for 5,000 dong (17p). Miss Mua says she has not missed a meeting since the club was established two years ago, ‘We keep coming back not only because of the club’s training lessons, but also it’s joyful atmosphere.’

Even though Miss Mua has many troubles of her own, as well as a busy life working as a cleaner so she can support her six year old grand-daughter, she is determined to raise money for the club to help people who are infected with HIV.

Having been isolated within her community when neighbours discovered her sons were drug users and living with HIV, she is well aware of the stigma people face when living with HIV. Miss Mua told me, ‘The Empathy Club is invaluable. It provides a space for comfort, sharing and encouragement. Before I joined the club, people treated me very differently. Now my neighbours understand my circumstances, so I’m not worried anymore. … One of the main aims of the Empathy Club is to reduce stigma and discrimination against families like mine. They have done that very well.'

Vietnam has seen massive changes over the past ten years since partially opening up the economy. Multinational companies are setting up businesses in free trade zones and employing young people from poor, rural communities. Older people are being left behind to support themselves as their children move away in search of work. In some cases, older people are taking on the care of their grandchildren.

Through Sponsor a Grandparent, the Vietnam Women’s Union has set up sixty Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs throughout the country and I visited one in Thai Nguyen province in the north of Vietnam. The club distributes loans to older people who do not qualify for pensions but who need money to support themselves and their families. It is up to the club members to decide whether to offer the loan to an individual in dire need or to a small group of individuals in order to benefit the whole community.

Through Sponsor a Grandparent, the Vietnam Women’s Union has set up sixty Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs throughout the country.

In this particular community, a man named Thang joined together with two other older people and requested a loan of 9 million dong (£316) so they could dig out a pond for the community and stock it with fish.

Thang says ‘If we sell all the fish, we will earn 15 million dong (£527). The original 9 million will go back to the club to benefit others. And the 3 million dong (£105) profit will be divided up amongst the three of us who run the community fish pond.’

He used his portion of the profits to assist his own family, but also gave back a portion to the club to train volunteers to carry out home visits for older and infirm people. The club will also be able to distribute further loans. Despite being poor himself, Thang did not just think about how he could help himself and his own family. He helped create a project to help the whole community.

During my trip I visited the Bandi Mandir project - it provides support to vulnerable older people in a remote rural area of West Bengal. It’s a very isolated place and we had to ride in bicycle driven carts for about half an hour in the rain to get there.

There we met the 104 beneficiaries who receive food, hygiene items and clothing distribution as well as cash. The project also provides small micro loans for older people wanting to start income generation activities.

At least 25 older people here are actively involved in income generation activities, which include basket, rope and mat making. I learnt that on average they earn Rs 500-600 a month (about £6-7). This is not enough to support them, but contributes to the household income. It was great to hear from the care worker how these activities have helped to restore the dignity of the older people in their families and how they are more vocal now as a result of this increased confidence.

At least 25 older people here are actively involved in income generation activities, which include basket, rope and mat making.

The project manager and care workers gave extremely positive reports on the impact of the project and I spoke to 5 beneficiaries as well.

One gentleman, aged 87, told me how he and his wife officially adopted his grandson after his son died. His grandson is 14 and goes to school, and is doing well at his studies. Because of a small micro-loan from the project, he could start a grocery store in his house, as well as spinning fish nets. This helps him to support his grandson at school.

Another gentleman, 63, spoke of how he lost his job 7 years ago following a stroke. The most significant impact of the project on his life is that it has given him impetus and motivation to live more. He was very depressed after his stroke, but now gets to socialise and meet people his own age.

The Calcutta Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology is a Sponsor a Grandparent project that provides support to 50 older people (3 men, 47 women).

These older people are helped by sponsorship money in food, clothing and medicine distribution as well as cash and additional support in times of emergency or crisis.

I saw an integration of project activities, where Sponsor a Grandparent beneficiaries also receive other benefits from the Institute such as access to eye operations and specialist medical care. Micro loans had also been provided to 15 older people who are now active in income generation activities, which include making and selling paper bags and selling vegetables in the market.

The older people’s primary need here is economical, followed by medical.

The older people’s primary need here is economical, followed by medical. Care-workers for the project told me how they did a lot of counselling during their regular visits, as the older people here are sometimes depressed and isolated. The care worker would also highlight any healthcare needs they may have.

I had the opportunity to visit 4 beneficiaries. One lady said how the impact of the project on her life was that her self esteem had improved, and while she used to beg, she is now much more independent, and feels less of a burden on her family. ‘It is far better than living in an old age home,’ she said.

The Tollygunge project in South Calcutta is a residential home with 32 older residents (18 men, 16 women).

When I arrived at the project I was met by the manager who introduced me to some of the care-workers at the home, as well as the beneficiaries.

I find this project particularly interesting as the people who live in this home are Anglo-Indian - an extremely vulnerable group in India since Indian independence from the British 60 years ago. The Anglo-Indian community is diminishing with age, and most have no family to look after them. Many are unmarried.

I was thrilled to see how well beneficiaries were looked after and that there were regular social activities.

I was thrilled to see how well beneficiaries were looked after and that there were regular social activities. A doctor visits the home once a week, and a qualified nurse lives on the grounds. School children visit and take the residents out and, every two months, volunteers from HelpAge India visit and organise social activities. The older people helped in the domestic chores in the grounds and in the residence.