Carers Day 2023 - Let’s Recognise & Support Carers
What a day we had on Thursday 19th October celebrating Carers Day 2023!
This was our second annual Carers Day and saw more than 12,000 carers, their loved ones and other stakeholders, participate in the celebrations across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. They came together to advocate for the role of carers to be recognised and for carers to be supported.
It was a special day dedicated to the invisible army of unpaid family carers who provide love and support to those in need. A day for us to express our appreciation and recognise the vital role these unsung heroes play in caring for their loved ones.
Let’s Recognise and Support Carers
This year’s theme for Carers Day was ‘Let's Recognise and Support Carers’. It encourages us all to take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the tireless efforts of carers. And to explore ways in which we can offer tangible support to carers. This might include offering emotional support, providing respite care, or advocating for policies that enhance carers’ well-being.
Recognising and supporting carers enables us to create a more inclusive society. This year Carers Day provided an excellent opportunity for us to raise awareness, engage in meaningful discussions, and take concrete actions to improve the lives of carers.
“This was truly a historic and momentous day for unpaid carers in South Asia. I am so proud of all our partner organisations for putting together these programmes of events, highlighting the issues faced and calling for recognition and support for carers. Together we will make a difference!”
How we celebrated Carers Day 2023
Across all three countries, our local charity partner organisations and the carers they support, held rallies and events to mark the day. They also signed our Carers Charter and submitted it to government representatives, seeking recognition and support for carers.
Our Chair of Trustees, Jonathan Freeman, MBE, and our Founder Anil Patil, joined the celebrations in Bangladesh, and another of our trustees Maria Andrews, travelled to India to be there in person for the day. They were struck by the passion and the sense of community shown at the events and it has further solidified their desire to support our work in their role as trustees.
In India, as well as Carers Day being celebrated by our 12 local charity partners, the Government of Karnataka in South India also celebrated Carers Day as an official day across the state. This meant that additional carers, their supporters and government rehabilitation workers participated in Carers Day, helping us to reach more people and raise awareness in other communities.
In Bangladesh, carers and their loved ones came together to celebrate, and we were also joined by many senior civil servants who made their personal commitments to the carers’ movement. We used the day to formally launch our Carers Alliance Bangladesh and we are delighted to share that one of the key speakers at the event was so impressed with our work, that he pledged a significant personal donation to support the work of the Alliance and the Carers Movement.
Our local charity partner in Nepal, SGCP, the Nawa Agaman Samrakshk Samaj Carers Association, our SewaMa helpline partners, community members and volunteers celebrated Carers Day through a spectacular grand rally and programme of events. Carers Day was celebrated with enthusiasm and gratitude, and carers and their families left the rally feeling empowered and inspired.
It was a truly memorable day and we wish to thank everyone involved in the extensive preparation and planning for this special day. It is a lot of work, but truly worth it - helping us to raise awareness of the issues and call for support for unpaid carers across South Asia.
If you would like to help us support unpaid carers across South Asia then donate to Carers Worldwide. Our partners across India, Bangladesh and Nepal do some incredible work for carers with our help so get involved with our challenge events, become a fundraiser or give Sadaqah to support our work.
