About Us
The initiative was the brainchild of SOBAATI founder, a divorcee from Pune, who came up with this platform as a solution to fight the painful loneliness among the middle-aged.”Very few are able to fathom the pain of being alone with no one to talk to. Many in this age-group are raised in a generation where they are not taught to express their inner frustrations and are on the verge of depression. Only those in similar situations can relate to it and offer support,” he says.
He organised such meets at Pune in 2017. In 2020, Covid-19 and consequent lockdowns made it impossible to keep it going. Post-Covid, the initiative was revived. It was resurrected online with social media advertisements about their get-togethers and that is when this concept really took off. Today, this initiative has grown beyond being just a calling or a social venture for SOBAATI founder and he has enlisted professional support services like tele-callers and social media marketing.
“Many participants who come for these meets, are disillusioned from matrimonial sites, which often have false and exaggerated profile details and are wary of such experiences. Here they meet real people face to face and get enough time to decide whether to take it forward or not,” says SOBAATI founder.
The Sobaati initiative was started in Pune, but is picking up in Mumbai and has now received offers to host similar events in Delhi, Bangalore apart from various cities within Maharashtra like Sambhajinagar and Nashik.
The format for the day-long get-together is quite simple. It starts with an introductory session, where the participants introduce themselves and then there are ice-breaker games. People are discouraged from directly connecting or sharing personal details with each other.
Already, the Mumbai team members have bonded strongly and are active on WhatsApp. They attend personal events such as birthday celebrations. Now, following demands from members, Sobaati Meet has started hosting weekend meets.
Precautions to ensure privacy and safety
“We do not share data of personal details with anyone nor do we retain it ourselves. We advise our participants to not let their emotions get the better of them and share personal details like addresses. You can block people on mobile not beyond. We encourage people to use us as intermediaries while sharing numbers,” advises SOBAATI founder.
During the gatherings people are barred from clicking or sharing pictures of participants. SOBAATI founder says it is to ensure that people are safe and protected within the network.
Participants say that unlike regular friends, the camaraderie at SOBAATI Meet is quite real. Since they share their deepest thoughts and concerns, they feel more connected. Even if they haven’t yet zeroed in on anyone as a life partner, they have developed a new friend circle. They are excited about going on trips, birthday parties and enjoy a few shared moments of affection and joy. And for now, that brings them immense joy.
Safe space for meeting people or even finding partner
