Message from the CEO, Femada Shamam

While we embrace the gift of longer lives, the fundamental question I ask myself is: “What is the quality of those additional years?”

At Tafta, we are committed to ensuring that every elder in our community enjoys ‘a life worth living’. That means going beyond basic needs such as a safe place to live, sufficient nutritious food, and medical care.

Because, in addition, human beings of every age need:

  • companionship and a sense of belonging
  • to feel useful and have a purpose in life  (whether it’s work, helping others or learning something new)
  • independence and freedom of choice
  • to have a voice and be treated with respect.

How many people does Tafta help?

Knowing all this, it can be daunting to look at the sheer number of elders who rely on Tafta to meet those needs. Right now, we have 1 833 men and women over the age of 60 living in our buildings – including 105 who require full time frail care.

In the last financial year – up until 31 March 2026 – we served over half a million meals in our buildings – and delivered a further 8 541 meals to elders in the community.

Our care givers conducted 46 823 visits to elders’ homes, and our community awareness programmes reached 11 663 people.

Proud and thankful

Looking at these staggering statistics I feel so proud of what Tafta does. I’m proud of our dedicated staff, and enormously grateful to our friends and supporters who make our work possible.

Recently, we shared the story of 94-year old Mrs R, who needed full-time frail care that her family simply couldn’t afford … and you didn’t hesitate to chip in to help cover the cost.

When the recent fuel price increase pushed up the cost of elders’ meals, we turned to you again for help. And again, your generosity left us humbled and grateful.

I want to thank you personally for the part you play in ensuring that our elders enjoy a life worth living. Thank you for believing in us … for supporting us … and for caring about older people in need. May you be richly blessed for your kindness.