KZBM’s Arman Home

 With an ageing community and children seeking better life overseas, need for company and assistance with daily living is a need that has been felt by the Zoroastrians of Karachi.

 Arnawaz Maneck Kakalia felt this very keenly in her lifetime, leading to her children Kaikobad and Nargis seeking to convert their late parents’ bungalow in Avari Colony into a facility for our elders. Taking the alphabets from Arnawaz and Maneck names the children coined the name “Arman” to perpetuate their dear parents’ memory.

This brings a flashback to twenty  years, when the then President of KZBM Toxy Cowasjee had realized this need and done survey of persons interested in a Senior Citizens Home, obtained detailed plans and even commenced fund raising. However, some things are ordained to happen at a later date but the seed was sown by Toxy.

The required permission to convert the Kakalia bungalow into Arman Home was granted by Byram Avari, Chairman of the Karachi Parsi Anjuman. Thereafter, the KZBM Managing Committee engaged a professional architect to convert the residential bungalow into living facility for the elders of our community, and put in unaccountable hours, thought and care to make it into a reality.

Generous support of Kothari Trust and Feroze & Shernaz Bhandara Charitable Trust helped KZBM provide the level of facility they desired, having put in sizable contribution of their own.

Arman Home in physical shape is a reality, but it can be meaningful only with the involvement and support of our community. Please feel free to come and see the facilities. Here are some pictures for you to see the welcome and warmth of the living room, the comfort of the bedroom, the thoughtful fittings in the bathroom and, the common dining area for companionship and family-feeling.  There is also a lift for living quarters on the upper floor.

Arman is in a colony where largest number of our community resides. KZBM seeks their thought and involvement, as much as of every member of the community, to make the residents happy and cared for.  Feel free to take a resident along with you when you take your evening walk.  Send your children to KZBM’s Sunday Open House to delight the elders, walk-in with a movie to show the residents, or perhaps play a card game or other.

For those of you who would like to use the facilities of Arman, KZBM welcomes you to come, see and decide. Their requirements are that an applicant for Arman House be:

·        65+ years of age, male or female.

·        Preferably having a guardian in Karachi who can take over in time of medical emergency. Of course KZBM will assist.

·        A composite monthly charge will be made for all living facilities, including meals.

·        Interested persons may contact any member of the Managing Committee of KZBM for further details.

Karachi Zarthostis have been blessed with forefathers who built ‘baghs’ where generations have lived in secure gated-localities and three generation of neighbours have grown up together in some cases.  This has kept our community close-knit and strong.  Today sizeable number of elders is living alone and Arman Home is a small first step to provide them company and care.  Together we can continue to be strong and close-knit.  SFG

 

Photo Credits:  Courtesy Hamazor Issue 4/2015 : shot by Minocher Vakharia