Hidden Gems: Meet Sunita Singh & Binithi Gamage Purple Triangle Project of Purple Triangle Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunita Singh & Binithi Gamage Purple Triangle Project

Hi Sunita Singh & Binithi Gamage, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Sunita:
As a young girl, I witnessed my great grandfather go through the difficult path of dementia. We were always close, and his gradual changes of his mental capacity each time I visited him proved to be something that sparked my curiosity for dementia. As I grew older, I became more fascinated by the details and science of it, pushing me to want to study neuroscience and medicine in order to become a neurologist. Along my research I realized how complex dementia was, and started connecting back to the questions I asked about my great grandfather as a young girl. I brought this up to Binithi and told her my idea of creating a volunteer and awareness group, and we gathered more people passionate about our cause. I’m forever proud of our hard work and our growth that led us to create something so special.

Binithi:
Oceans away, my grandmother is living with an undiagnosed form of dementia. A lack of awareness and resources has led to significant difficulty not only in her daily lifestyle but also for her caregivers. When I learned about the common misconception that Alzheimer’s disease is the only form of dementia out there, I realized that making efforts toward community education is a key step if we ever hope to bridge this gap. What began as a lunch-table conversation between Sunita and I has blossomed into creating and finding new communities. Our key first step was to bring together a team that was just as passionate about advocacy as we are. Now, we all work together to generate awareness and promote education about dementia care within and beyond our organization. I may not be able to see my grandmother often, but I recognize her smile on the faces of the seniors we volunteer with and her kindness in the amazing supporters of our cause.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When we first started, it was increasingly difficult to find a place to meet. Meeting virtually wouldn’t have been a very good idea since our volunteer opportunities are very hands on and it would have limited us. We started off meeting in a cafe, and as we grew it ended up being very cramped. We had lectures and made cards and crafts. We contacted many town buildings and memory facilities but in order to use a meeting space we would have to pay a very large fee, which we couldn’t afford. Thankfully, after networking with larger dementia organizations, we found a facility that could accommodate us. We were so grateful for them and our meetings contain so much more hands-on volunteering, which we are very proud of. Additionally, gaining traction and spreading the news about who we are proved to be a bit difficult at first, but with networking and social media connections, we have grown. Lastly, registering for official status proved to be a challenge, and we are still working on federal recognition so our members, who are seniors in high school now, may open up chapters of the Purple Triangle Project around the country. In order to make sense of all of this paperwork, we used our networking connections to utilize others’ experience in order to help us.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Purple Triangle Project is entirely youth-led, and we specialize in outreach, education, and direct service. When we began, we noticed a lack of information regarding the over two hundred types of dementia that affect millions of lives. The common misconception that Alzheimer’s is the only form of dementia causes many other diseases to be swept under the rug. This is why our mission is to raise awareness for forms of dementia that are often underrepresented and less recognized. We often collaborate with organizations such as the American Legion and Dementia Capable Cares, from organizing community fundraising events to dementia engagement training workshops. PTP’s digital blog and social media posts are also dedicated to discussing a variety of topics relating to neurodegenerative diseases and dementia care. Aside from our informative initiatives, we work closely with the memory care residency at Woodland Terrace to arrange visits with senior residents. Our volunteering activities focus on activities particularly beneficial to brain health and relaxation such as hands-on crafts.

What makes you happy?
Being able to see the impacts of our work firsthand is a huge motivator and brings us so much joy. We have received incredible support and positive feedback from our educational events, blogs, and presentations. At our fundraising and informational booths at community events, we meet many loved ones and caregivers of those struggling with dementia. Hearing their experiences and connections to our cause reminds us of all the stories we shed light on by raising awareness. We even hear from people who may not have personal connections to dementia but are simply eager to learn about how they can educate themselves and support patients.

We take pride in volunteering with memory care residents and bringing smiles to their faces. There is quite a learning curve in interacting with those with dementia but we are immensely proud of our members for their patience, dedication, and kindness. We learn how to adapt to each person we volunteer with, accommodating their cognitive capacity and activity level. It’s rewarding to see our members progress and become more and more comfortable, leading to even better volunteer experiences. Seeing the memory care residents’ eyes light up and engage in conversation with our volunteers is rewarding and they are often very sweet. It’s a lesson in patience and kindness and the end result is something we forever cherish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://purple-triangle-project.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purple.triangle.project/?hl=en