If you’ve been to the heart of Jakarta in the last couple of days, you’ve probably seen that Monas (the National Monument) is now bathed in purple light. That is to mark World Alzheimer’s Month, which is going on throughout September.
The famous Indonesian landmark was chosen to raise awareness and challenge existing stigmas against Alzheimer’s and its sufferers.
“Our hope is that, through this [purple] light, people will learn to care more and realize that Alzheimer’s isn’t actually a disease,” said Rini Hariyani, head of the Monas Maintenance Department, as quoted by Tempo yesterday.
The theme for the fourth edition of the annual World Alzheimer’s Month is ‘Remember Me’. People are encouraged to learn to spot signs of dementia, but also not to forget about loved ones who are living with dementia, or those who may have passed away (for more information on the subject, visit www.worldalzmonth.com)
But it won’t just be this month that Monas is bathed in pretty symbolic color. For all of October, pink light will shine on Monas to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
