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Age Demands Action: Impact 2010

By HelpAge International


March 31, 2011


World

 

Older people took action in more than 50 countries as part of the HelpAge Network's Age Demands Action campaign on 1 October 2010.

Activists called on their national governments to take action on issues which affect older people, such as pensions, healthcare, housing or access to work.

ADA 2010: Success stories

Here are just a few examples of the impact older Age Demands Action activists made this year:

More pensions in Kenya

Description: ADA activists take action in Kenya
Older activists take part in Age Demands Action in Kenya

Over 300 older people marched through Uhuru Park in Nairobi flagged off by Kenyan football legend, Joe Kadenge. A delegation of older people then met the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. They asked to increase the amount and expand the coverage of cash transfers for older people.

RESULT: To the delight of activists, the Ministry of Finance pledged to increase the amount of cash transfers for all older people. They also agreed to ensure that all 47 counties in Kenya receive cash transfers by June 2011.

Rhoda, a delegate from Kenya said: "I have learnt that even in old age I am able to do something worthwhile and constructive for my country."  

New National Ageing Policy in Ghana



Description: An ADA activist joins a march in Ghana
An older activist joins an ADA march in Ghana

Hundreds of older people joined brass band processions in Ghana. They called for the registration of older people for the LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty) cash transfer programme to be speeded up.

A delegation also met the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare to call on the government to accelerate implementation of the National Ageing Policy.

RESULT: Just four weeks after meeting with the Minister, the Cabinet approved the National Ageing Policy. At the meeting with delegates, the Minister agreed to speed up registration of the poorest older people over 65 for the cash transfer programme.

One older delegate said: "I feel good that I have been consulted on the key issues for advocacy for the Age Demands Action campaign. The issues are very real to us."

New older people's allowance in Sri Lanka

1,000 older people marched in Sri Lanka. A delegation of activists also met the Minister of Social Services and other senior officials to call for a pension for all older people over 70.

RESULT: The Minister promised to implement a new senior citizens allowance of 2,000 Rupees per month for everyone over 75. This will improve the lives of thousands of older people and their families. 

Increased pensions in Bangladesh

Hundreds of older people formed a human chain in the city's main square to call for an increase to the old age allowance.

RESULT: The Social Welfare Minister promised to increase this allowance in the next year's budget. This will make life easier for thousands of older people.

More success stories 

Description: An ADA activist takes action in Latin America
An Age Demands Action activist takes to the streets in Latin America

-The Prime Minister of Nepal signed the Age Demands Action petition and expressed his commitment to older people's rights.

-In Cambodia, the government is introducing a health equity fund to provide free healthcare for the poorest older people.

-The Minister of Labour, Social Protection and Family in Moldova pledged to ensure the pension reaches the minimum subsistence level for older people in the country.

-In Mozambique, the government agreed to increase the amount of food subsidy for older people by 27% from January 2011.

-A programme for more age-friendly cities has been introduced in Argentina

-HelpAge's partner in the Philippines, COSE, has been pushing for a pension for the poorest older people for years and in 2010 they tasted success. For Age Demands Action in 2008, they organised 1500 older people to march to Congress all dressed in white and timed to coincide with a speech being made in favour of a pension by a Senator in the Congress hall.

Since then COSE has used its network of older people's groups to keep the pressure up on the government. And in 2010 the Senior Citizen's Act was passed which gave a pension of US$11 a month to the poorest older people in the Philippines.

Past success

Government starts to listen in Fiji

In 2009, HelpAge partner FCOSS held consultation meetings with older people in more than 12 older people's homes around the island. They used the information gathered to draw up a manifesto for change and a delegation of older people were met by a minister for the first time on October 1 to discuss it.

Shortly after the meeting, the Fijian cabinet agreed to draft a national policy on ageing, and invited FCOSS to help.

More pensions in Kenya

In 2008 HelpAge Kenya held meetings with older people and drew up a manifest for change. One call for action was the expanion of a pension pilot to more older people in the country.

More than 200 older people and supporters joined the delegation in a march to parliament where they met ministers, including the Financial Secretary and Director of Pensions.

The government then pledged 200million Kenyan Shillings ($2.6m) for a non-contributory pension fund for older people. A pension has now been introduced to over 30,000 older people in Kenya.


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