Retirees are inspired to live life to the fullest, celebrate heritage
"Retirement is not the end of a productive life but rather the beginning of secondary careers, pursuing of passions and a meaningful contribution to society."
KAMAQHEKEZA – Members and guests of the Sabela Retirees Organisation (Saro) celebrated Heritage Day with traditional attire, entertainment and food at the local community hall on 21 September.
Saro focuses on improving the lives of retired government professional and those on the verge of retirement.
It was established in Nkomazi in 2014 and promotes physical, emotional, spiritual and financial well-being through community programmes that focus on these different aspects.
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The organisation is growing throughout the province and hopes to one day have a national footprint.
Community members and attendees dressed in traditional attire, speakers motivated attendees and Swati dancers entertained with traditional music and moves. The group also enjoyed a variety of traditional foods at the end of the event.
Lydia Sibiya of Saro said that they see networking among retired professionals as being fundamental for the future and echoed their motto “Ageing with pride”.
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Elderly people of the community were urged to join, as there are many ways to still enjoy life.
“Our objectives include organising group tours, developing relationships among other organisations with similar interests, ensuring a continued meaningful engagement among professionals as well as skills transfer from retired professionals to the younger generation. This is an important step to reaching full engagement between matured professionals and the younger generation,” Sibiya explained.
Saro also aims to utilise retired members to empower professionals nearing retirement with the necessary skills to deal with retirement challenges such as ageing, health challenges, medical preparedness, financial planning, and enjoying life to the fullest.
“Saro believes that retirement is not the end of a productive life but rather the beginning of secondary careers, pursuing of passions and a meaningful contribution to society. It is only through shared experiences that new members can avoid some of the negative pitfalls of retiring without a plan,” Sibiya said.
Prof Moses Mbewe motivated the attendees during his keynote address. “The value of skilled professionals can never be discounted by retirement. I like the contribution of the organisation in the society. We are old but we must take part until our last days. We must live our heritage every day, because that’s what makes us different and special. We must be proud of our cultures, and teach the young ones – they will pass it on to the next generation too.”
