“I’m searching for friends for my granny in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. She is an elderly person but with a youthful spirit. Sometimes she feels a bit lonely and would love to meet someone with similar interests. If you are an older person also looking for companionship, enjoy chatting and having good times, it would be great for them to meet.” This is the heartfelt plea made by a granddaughter for her grandma, through social media, to find companions to enjoy life with.
Noelia Marrero, 29, is trying from Poland, where she is currently working as a social worker, to ensure her grandmother, María del Carmen Navarro, a resident of the capital city, doesn’t feel so lonely. However, it’s not that she lacks company or attention from her family, but she would like to meet someone her age to share experiences and hobbies with. Noelia initially thought about creating a Tinder account or something similar for her, but ended up ruling out this option, considering that such a dating site was not suitable for someone of her grandmother’s age, who is 75 years old. “I also searched for an app for people feeling lonely and seeking friendship, but I didn’t find one.”
Finally, Noelia has posted her plea in two Facebook groups. In it, this young woman describes María del Carmen as a very active and intelligent woman, who lives in the centre of Santa Cruz and enjoys going for walks in the mornings and afternoons. “She likes to chat and is a very fun woman, although what she enjoys most is eating good food and having a beer while sitting on a terrace. I work away and can’t accompany her as much as I would like, so I want to help her find company. If you are interested, please get in touch with me and tell me something about yourself.”
Noelia speaks very fondly of her grandmother; she adores and admires her. She needs her to feel better, to find someone who “helps her forget the loneliness she feels”. “Granny has always lived in Santa Cruz, although she was born in La Gomera, in a very poor family and her mum was blind. At just 15, she married my grandfather, who was in the military, and soon had her first daughter. Despite not going to school much or having many opportunities, she has always been a very independent woman. She is very modern for her age,” says Noelia.
Noelia, from Poland, wants to help María del Carmen, a resident of Santa Cruz, combat loneliness
[–>
It was María del Carmen herself who suggested to her granddaughter the possibility of seeking friends. Noelia used to keep her company a lot but had to leave to seek opportunities abroad. “Due to the issues that young people face in Canarias in accessing housing and due to low wages, I had to leave Tenerife. Now I am in Poland, working in a foundation with socially vulnerable children. I am doing everything possible to be able to return. My grandmother misses me a lot.”
But Noelia’s grandmother’s case is not unique. There are many elderly people who demand and need companionship, who feel lonely, even if their families are close by. And many who don’t even have family. “My grandmother, in fact, is fortunate because she has us, she has me, even though I am far away now. But there are many elderly people alone in their homes, not receiving attention from anyone, and who end their last days suffering from depression and profound loneliness. I believe we should value our elders more. My grandmother teaches me a lot, she is my source of wisdom. She is who I turn to when I need advice and she is also my best friend,” expresses Noelia.
[–>
