From rescue to last rites: How a Gurgaon man is filling gaps in care for India’s abandoned elderly

Social work often begins where families and public systems are falling short. One such effort in Gurugram is trying to respond to a growing but less visible problem of older individuals left without care, support or identity. A local nonprofit, through its network of shelters and outreach, works to provide not only recovery but also ongoing care through end of life.

Jas Kalra leads the World Saviors Foundation, a Gurugram-based organization that provides residential care to abandoned elderly people and other vulnerable people. The foundation operates shelters in Bhandwari and Mandhawar and provides food, accommodation and medical support at no cost.

Many of those who reach these shelters are in distress, living on the streets, in unsafe public spaces, or without any identification documents. Recovery efforts are often the first step, but the organization’s work is structured around long-term care rather than temporary relief. Residents stay as long as needed, sometimes indefinitely.

Tracing families whenever possible
After individuals are taken into care, attempts are made to trace their families. In some cases, reunification is facilitated by locating relatives. However, for many people this possibility does not exist, either because of a lack of records or because families are unable or unwilling to retrieve records.

For such residents, shelters become permanent homes. This requires constant coordination, staffing, healthcare and day-to-day operations, which form the backbone of the foundation’s work.

Kalra became the head of the organization after the death of his father, who founded the organization. Since then, he has been closely involved in its day-to-day operation, such as overseeing rescue operations, managing health regulations and providing infrastructure support.
The role inherently extends beyond compassion. It involves administrative planning, resource management and constantly dealing with unforeseen situations. An aspect of the Foundation’s work that has attracted wider attention is its commitment to providing last rites for homeless people. The organization ensures that final rites are performed with dignity for residents who have passed away without their family.