Finding one’s purpose in life can be difficult, even in youth. Purpose gives us a reason to wake up in the morning, pursue our goals and feel that our days have meaning. For many people, work becomes part of that purpose. But what happens when working life comes to an end? What gets a person out of bed when the routine, responsibilities and relationships of work are no longer there? When a person retires, where do they find purpose after leaving behind the meaning that work once provided?
For Cynthia Nlhapo, that question helped inspire Tshepo Ya Sechaba, a Dawn Park organisation helping older residents remain active, connected and engaged after retirement.
Tshepo Ya Sechaba, an NPO for older people, uses physical activity and social programmes to encourage active ageing. It has more than 50 registered members, with roughly 28 to 30 participating on an average day. Members meet from Monday to Thursday at Cynthia’s home in Dawn Park, where her garage serves as their exercise space. Through exercise, aerobics, music rehearsals, Golden Games participation, outings and social interaction, the organisation aims to help older people remain active and find purpose beyond retirement.
Life Beyond Retirement
Cynthia registered Tshepo Ya Sechaba as an NPO in 2015 with the idea of starting exercise sessions for retired people in Dawn Park. The organisation began its activities in 2017.
As a professional social worker, Cynthia observed that some older people struggled physically and emotionally after retirement. She realized that once people retire, “they have no zeal for life because their daily routine is no longer there.” Once retired, they don’t have people to communicate with on a daily basis. Cynthia believes losing daily routines and regular social interaction can contribute to stress and other health challenges. This happens because they are no longer as active as they once were in their working days.
Her experience watching her own parents age also shaped her understanding of older people. Watching her own parents grow older inspired her to say “When I retire, I just want to see older people not being neglected, see them being active, see them interacting with their peers so that they reduce stress levels, they reduce anxiety and they just socialise with people their own age,”
Over the years Tsepho Ya Sethaba has accomplished her desires. It provides retired people with an outlet where they can “just have fun” as she says. On occasion, they go on outings such as picnics and trips to the zoo. Some journeys take them as far as Mpumalanga and Cape Town. The main focus of this organization is on the mental, physical and social health of older persons so that, as Cynthia says, they don’t feel like their life has come to an end because they are no longer economically active. But rather, they should know that “there’s life beyond retirement.”
More Than Exercise
Every week, from Monday to Thursday, the group meets at Cynthia’s home and begins the day with aerobics. Led by fitness instructor Tuna Sapula, who is also an older person, the group exercises for about an hour before moving into a full-body stretching session.
Once they have completed their exercises, they take a short water break before moving on to their next activity: music. Cynthia says some members do not take part in the exercise sessions because of medical reasons, but they’ll still join the music activities. The group sits in a circle around a musical instrument. One person plays an instrument, such as a flute, while the rest follow the notes and sing together in harmony.
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For members of Tshepo Ya Setshaba, the organisation has become more than a place to exercise. As Meisie Modise, a member of the group, says, “as an elderly person you don’t have to sit at home doing nothing. You need to be with other elderly people and do stuff”. Meisie, who joined the group in 2023, says sitting at home makes an elderly person’s sicknesses, like high blood pressure and diabetes, worse. She joined the group because she believes regular exercise helps her manage some of these health challenges. Since joining the gym, she says she has noticed a difference in herself. “My high blood has gone down and I’m reducing a little bit of weight… this helps a lot and you make a lot of friends,” she says.
Cynthia says several members have reported similar improvements. Some joined the group while struggling with mobility or using walking aids, while others were living with high blood pressure. She says members have later returned from clinic visits reporting lower blood pressure and improved mobility.
She recalls one woman whose arthritis had made it difficult for her to leave the house or walk. According to Cynthia, regular participation in the group has helped her become more mobile. “Yes, sometimes she does get pain, but it’s not the same as before she started gym,” Cynthia says.
The Need For Infrastructure In Dawn Park
Although Cynthia’s garage currently accommodates the group, she believes they need a larger space with more amenities. Cynthia says requirements for programmes serving older people mean they cannot keep participants for longer than two hours without providing a meal. However, the organisation does not currently have the facilities or funding to provide meals every day.
A permanent and better-equipped facility is now one of the organisation’s biggest needs. Cynthia hopes the municipality or local councillor could provide land or an existing building where the organisation could establish a permanent centre. From there, she says, they could raise funds to build a larger hall and provide additional amenities. With that, they will be able to ask for funding from government “because government will not give us funding until we meet certain criteria in terms of the infrastructure” she says.
Cynthia’s vision and prayer for the organization is to see is it growing. She says Dawn Park is already a large community, even before considering areas such as Villa Liza and Rondebult. “If we have infrastructure that is conducive to the activities that we have then it will also attract other community members”
Although Tshepho Ya Sechaba currently focuses mainly on older people, its wider objectives also include young people, women and children. This is another reason the organisation needs a bigger space. Cynthia believes a larger facility could eventually become a community centre serving different generations while keeping older people at the heart of the organisation. “As much as we focus on older persons, we need to groom our youth to understand issues around older persons,” she says. She hopes to teach young people life skills, respect and cultural values that will help shape them into responsible adults. Also taking into account abuse around women and children.
The reward of living with purpose looks different from person to person. For Tuna Sapula, fulfilment comes at the end of the day. “When I get home,” he says “I become free, relaxed”
For Meisie Modise, it is the enjoyment that keeps her coming back. “Beyond physical activity, it’s fun,” she says. She believes older people should enjoy the stage of life they have worked so long to reach. “You’ve worked for a long time, you’ve worked all your life, but now you can’t just sit at home and do nothing. Come and join other people and enjoy.”
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