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Jul 28th, 2009 - 08:35:17 |
Edward Kyaligonza
This is indeed one of the experiences that i feel i should share with you in the fight against the epidermic.
"When you are still a youth remember that old age is a must and is high time you prepared for it"
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
a) “Older persons as carers (caregivers) of orphans and vulnerable children”.
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic strikes at the core of family and community support structures, large numbers of older people are assuming responsibility for bringing up orphans and vulnerable children.
b) Family structures are changing often the middle generation (both men and women) is completely absent; both parents dead, leaving the old and the young to support each other.
c) Older persons make up a significant proportion of the poorest and HIV/AIDS exacerbates the extreme poverty faced by the old headed households. This therefore compromises their ability to care adequately for the children; thus limiting their access to health care and education services.
d) The scarcity of HIV/AIDS information for older persons limits their ability to protect themselves and their families. Indeed older person should be playing a key role in HIV/AIDS prevention within their communities and families. Today, the role of older persons as family counselors and educators is not enough or has been completely neglected. The importance of older persons participation in community-based and national health programme, especially HIV/AIDS prevention needs to be recognized.
Older persons seldom have access to information about HIV/AIDS, income generation or do they get any form of consultations. But then, these older persons would very much want to be part of the prevention of HIV/AIDS, poverty eradication or any programmes geared towards community development. For instance most prevention and awareness programmes are almost exclusively targeting at young people and rarely reach older persons.
e) Twegasse Elderly Group has found out that literacy levels of older persons are too low thus limiting their access to written information. This has left the elderly ill-informed about HIV/AIDS and how it is spread, reducing their own risk perception and compromising their ability to protect themselves and those they care for.
f) Economic Vulnerability:
A recent baseline study of old persons in the urban community (Kampala and Masaka districts in Uganda) carried out by Twegasse Elderly Group shows that, HIV/AIDS is placing a tremendous strain on the already limited resources and capacities of old people who are caring for themselves, orphans and other vulnerable children. It is evident that the loss of the middle generation of adults (parents), severely reduces the income and consumption capacity of families affected by HIV/AIDS.
. Therefore, this economic strain means that older persons are under pressure to engage in income earning activities; and that children often dropout of school to find work.
Many of our members income-earning capacity is further comprised when they are caring for their dying adult children and/or very young children; leaving them little time to earn.
Incomes are stretched even further due to the lack of affordable medicines for the sick especially people living with AIDS (PLWAs), as the meager resources are spent on treatment and funerals of their beloved ones
. High Illiteracy levels among older persons
TEG has found out that literacy level older persons are too low thus limiting their access to written information. This has left the elderly ill informed about HIV / AID and how it is spread, reducing their own risk perception and compromising their ability to protect themselves and those they care for.
It has also been found that illiteracy is the main cause of poverty and disease among the old and the old and their dependants.
HOW SOME OF THE CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN CONVERTED
a) Creation of ray of Hope
TEG through the Reach the Elderly Aids Projects introduced the Social Protection Service (SOPS) in form of low or non- cost service, as a way to offset the additional burdens experienced by older persons and those caring for orphans and vulnerable children. Similarly these services have comprehensive protection measures for older persons in form of basic monetary and non – monetary contributions in the community.
These SOPS include: -
Child support service
Micro credit services.
The main objective of these SOPS is that older persons and vulnerable dependants are protected and cared for.
It has been realize that these social protection and care services have a significant impact on reducing poverty and vulnerability among households with older people. However, due to the limited resource of our communities and the county at large, these services will require financial and technical support from donor and other development partners.
This SOPS programme is a vital contribution to the household health securing older persons, basic needs and in households with orphans providing for clothes, medicines and paying school fees. Where households affected by HIV / AIDS we intend to initiate social assistance funds like Muno Mukabi. “a friend in need indeed ….” and burial societies. Similarly, SOPS will make credit and low interest flexible loans to older guardians and young people who can provide a lifeline for such families.
Flexible Education Service .
As part of SOPS, we advocate that all children (orphans and other vulnerable have access to good and all round education). Some of the flexible innovative services in education are: -
Reduced / subsidized school fees.
Bursaries and scholarships.
In other instances SOPS emphasize literacy programme to older persons at no fees.
Lobbying education authorities to help re-integrate orphans and other vulnerable children, into schools, or waive school fees, and provide support for school materials, uniform can also go along way to get children back to school.
HIV / AIDS Education and Care Services
With regard to HIV / AIDS education includes target HIV / AIDS information at older people.
Older people roles as leaders and education must be harnessed to support HIV / AIDS awareness and prevention services.
Older persons in TEG are involved in developing awareness material and message appropriate for older persons as caretakers or orphans and vulnerable children.
Community Adult Schooling needs to be introduced in areas where illiteracy levels are very high and in areas affected by HIV / AIDS. This can be done in churches, local community centre. Local teachers often on voluntary basis have been very useful and more can be done in future.
In other instances local radio involving interactive education can be useful in disseminating HIV / AIDS information to elders in the community
Physcho-social Trauma Approach.
Counseling service for the elderly can do a lot more to address the problems of stigma and discriminate among the elderly and their dependents. Many people regard older persons as burdens in the community. This has resulted into acute levels of exclusion for older persons and their dependants. Societies and traditional support mechanisms can be weakened when stigma, ignorance and discrimination marginalize a family affected by ageing problems. As result isolation, many older persons are failing their role as guardian, thus exacerbating the traditional parenting difficulties in the community.
Start Heatlth and Education Centers
We in Twegasse Elderly Group had to establisht TEG health centres in the community where we operate (Lwaggulwe and Kanyanya medical and Diagnostic Centres).
These Centres are initiatives intended to mitigate the effects of the epidermic among the very poor and vulnerabe in both rural and urban settings. But most importantly these medical and Diagnostic Centers change no fees to the elderly, orphans and other vulnerable children, registered by TEG. However both medical and Diagnostic Centres (MDC) charge a small user fee paid by other non-members in the community to sustain the activities at the centers.
We believe in PARTNERSHIP and welcome any contribution.
Please you can reach me on:
Edward Kyaligonza,
Programmes/Projects Manager,
Twegasse elderly Group,
4km Kampala Gayaza rd.
P. O. Box 26904 Kampala (Uganda)
e-mail excecollege2000@yahoo.com
Tel +256 779 350025
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