Venezuela's lonely seniors find lifeline on the dance floor

In the heart of Caracas, Venezuela, Club Tobias is providing a much-needed emotional boost to senior citizens left behind by mass emigration. Every Thursday in a lively shopping mall, music echoes as seniors come together to dance, laugh, and reconnect. Among them is 93-year-old Angela Graterol, whose children live abroad. For her, these dance sessions are not just fun   they're life-saving. “Music fills me up,” she says with joy. “My feet just start moving on their own.”

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Juan Fuentes, a 90-year-old retired soldier, is another regular. Despite living alone, he finds comfort in preparing for each dance session by practicing songs and jotting down lyrics. Like Angela, he has family overseas and treasures these social moments. Their stories reflect the growing reality in Venezuela, where around 3.5 million seniors now live. With an estimated 8 million people having left the country in recent years, many elderly citizens find themselves isolated and struggling with loneliness.

The emotional toll of separation from family is heavy. But Club Tobias gives these seniors something vital   connection. Started three years ago by Zandra Pedraza and Jose Rafael Quintana, the club was created to address this exact need. Now operating in 15 locations, it offers not just music and dancing, but a strong sense of community and purpose.

The success of Club Tobias lies in its simplicity and heart. As co-founder Jose Rafael Quintana puts it, “If you don’t move, you seize up.” This motto underpins the club’s mission to keep seniors both physically and emotionally active. Through regular dance sessions, the elderly participants fight off the emotional weight of isolation and age-related health issues.

Each gathering is more than just a party. It’s a reminder that aging doesn't have to mean being alone or inactive. The club has become a space where friendships bloom and stories are shared, all powered by rhythm and movement. For members like Angela and Juan, Club Tobias is a weekly highlight   a place that replaces silence with laughter and solitude with song.

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Beyond the individual joy, Club Tobias represents a wider solution for societies facing aging populations and migration crises. It serves as a model for how local communities can step in to care for the elderly when families are separated by borders. The club’s 15 branches show its scalability, and its impact goes far beyond entertainment.

In Venezuela’s current climate of economic instability and ongoing emigration, initiatives like this offer more than leisure   they restore dignity and belonging. Seniors, often neglected or forgotten, are now center stage, dancing not only to the beat of music but to the rhythm of a renewed life.

With thousands of seniors in similar situations, Club Tobias proves that even in the toughest times, community and creativity can provide hope, healing, and happiness.

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