Sahara (ਸਹਾਰਾ: support) was founded from love, grief, and a sense of responsibility.

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When Paramjot Kaur’s grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, her family faced a difficult reality.​ She moved into their home, and Paramjot’s mother became her primary carer. Over the next three years, they witnessed her decline first-hand.

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It quickly became clear that there was a significant gap in support for elderly Punjabi people and their carers. While day services existed, her grandmother couldn’t communicate or connect with anyone there. Care workers didn’t speak her language or understand her cultural background. Having lost her connection to her community, and placed in unfamiliar settings that felt nothing like home, she became increasingly isolated, confused and scared.

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Perhaps most difficult of all was that neither Paramjot nor her wider family knew enough about dementia. Had they understood what to expect, or known what support was available, the experience could have been very different.

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Paramjot didn’t want other people’s stories to unfold like that.

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Where research confirms what so many already feel—that older people from minority communities are more likely to be socially isolated—Sahara was created to offer something better.

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We’re building a connected community where people feel they always have someone to turn to. A place they belong. A space they look forward to coming to. One that connects them with the support, understanding, and care they deserve as they age.

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