Physiotherapist Taher Jaffer and a group of dedicated volunteers are providing elders from the Leicester community of Dawoodi Bohras with weekly physiotherapy sessions designed to promote their physical and mental fitness, and to prepare for Ramadan.
On Sunday afternoons, a group of seniors have been attending Burhani Masjid, the mosque and community centre that is home to the Leicester Dawoodi Bohras, to engage in exercises focusing on mobility, strength and overall fitness. Initially aimed at winter wellness, as well as encouraging members to benefit from physical activity, the sessions have become an integral opportunity for those interested in increasing their personal fitness.
Participant Alihusain Janowalla, said, “After nearly two years spent in careful isolation, there is lots of chatter and smiles, a reminder of how much everyone has missed social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Leicester seniors’ physiotherapy classes are fun, interactive, and an important opportunity for social connection.”
With COVID-19 restrictions having been lifted, community members of all ages will be able to visit the masjid in joint prayer for the first Ramadan since the start of the pandemic. Ramadan is a demanding but uplifting time, when individuals connect spiritually and socially. The physiotherapy sessions have been designed to reinvigorate seniors to feel in control of their overall health and mobility throughout Ramadan – one of the most important times of the year for Dawoodi Bohras and all Muslims. Calling the initiative Ramadanfit, the group focuses on enabling senior individuals to attend and participate in collective worship.
Keeping healthy and having the greatest respect for our seniors are values that the Dawoodi Bohras everywhere hold dear.