Guwahati, Sept 20: While most people drive through the city to earn a living, Lohit Nath, a 45-year-old taxi driver, has turned his home into a shelter for elderly women who have been left without care. Nath, a resident of Ganesh Nagar, Bamunimaidam, is currently taking care of 11 elderly women whom he lovingly calls “aita”.

He has been looking after them at his own expense, with some financial support from people who came to know about his work through social media. The women staying with him are aged between 65 and 90 years and are from places including Nagaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Azara and Dimapur in Nagal and.

One of the elderly women at the ashram said she had been physically abused by her son, who was addicted to alcohol. She eventually left her home and came to stay at the place.

She has been living there for the past year. Another elderly woman said she had nobody to look after her and that Nath had now become like a son to her.

Nath started the initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has since set up Brindaban Ashram at his home to provide shelter and care to the elderly women.

Many of them, he said, were neglected by their families, while some no longer have anyone to look after them. “During Covid-19 period, I started posting about people in need on social media.

Slowly, people started contacting me and informing me about elderly people who were living on the streets or had nowhere to go. Whenever I came to know about someone who needed help, I brought them home.

I am not able to see people in pain,” said Nath, adding, “I started this with love and compassion.” He initially brought two elderly men to his home after his social media followers informed him about them.

However, the men often did not want to stay at the shelter and would leave repeatedly. That was when Nath decided to start taking care of elderly women.

“I do not want to take more than 15 ‘aitas’. I want to give proper care to the people who are already staying here.

For me, it is not about having more people. It is about making sure that all of them here are happy and safe,” he said.

The women also help with household and kitchen activities, which Nath said keeps them active and engaged. “After staying here, they become active and start helping us with small household and kitchen work.