Aarati Poudel
Founder & President of Saar Nepal – (Broad Spectrum Senior Citizen Care)

After graduating in Social Work in 2006, Aarati started actively working in the social sector, leading by example. She volunteered in many fields such as children’s rights and protection, drug rehabilitation, HIV and care of the ageing.

Celebrating birthday of elderly mother by presenting her a birthday gift

From her experiences, Aarati decided to dedicate her life to serve senior citizens and founded Saar Nepal with the vision to create a just society for seniors. Under her leadership, Saar Nepal started Nepal’s first senior citizens’ Day Care and Lifelong Learning Centre as well as several life-enriching programs such as ‘Intergenerational Interaction’, ‘Rescue and Rehabilitation’ for seniors living on the streets and ‘Adopt a Grandparent.’

Elderly mother painted her feelings in a drawing.

She recently started a social enterprise called seniorbazar.com which is Nepal’s first online home health care service for senior citizens.

In May 2020 Aarati Poudel was awarded a scholarship from Dementia Foundation for Spark of Life to undertake the 3 week Master Leadership Program on the Spark of Life Philosophy.

It is Aarati’s vision as a Spark of Life Master Practitioner to be able to bring the Spark of Life Philosophy and Model of Care to the people of Nepal to enable seniors who have dementia to have a new future of hope and possibilities. Providing the transformative Spark of Life Education to the people of Nepal will have far reaching social and emotional benefits for people with dementia and their communities.

Aarati says, ‘Traditionally our culture at Nepal is enriched with so much of care and compassion toward elderly. But over time those values and ethics are missing out in today’s era. So I would like to integrate the Spark of Life Philosophy and Model of Care in reviving the culture of care in my society.’

Aarati giving a health check-up & awareness program for senior citizens

Aarati Poudel participating in the Spark of Life Master Leadership Program via Zoom in 2020