By Conrad Gweru
In every country there are people facing problems such as loneliness or isolation, lack of basic necessities, water, food, clothing and access to health care. Any of these are frightening and distressing situations for older persons. Older people in most African societies are a vulnerable group as a result of hardship, malnutrition, poverty and problems that come with age such as high susceptibility to chronic illnesses. The HIV and AIDS pandemic is now posing an additional burden on them, further increasing their vulnerability. In their old age when they may need support and expect to be taken care of they have to take on the role of caring for others, in most cases without even the basic necessary resources.
HelpAge International estimates that up to two thirds of people living with HIV and AIDS are cared for by parents in their 60`s and 70`s. In 2007 alone there was an estimated 11.4 million children orphaned by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa alone. In highly affected countries, more than 60-61% of orphaned children live in households headed by their grandparents. HelpAge International also estimates that in severely-affected communities in Africa and Asia, half or all older persons care for adult children living with HIV and AIDS, or both. Lack of economic, social and psychological support combined with poor access to health services, constantly restrict their ability to provide the care expected of them. However in spite of this positive view of the presence of orphans and sick relatives in the household there is always an underlying frustration, perhaps from resulting from the inability to meet the needs of the sick, the orphans as well as their own needs.
All efforts must therefore be made to support and address the vulnerability of these older persons. There is a serious shortage of food and non-food items in most households headed by older persons. HelpAge Zimbabwe is piloting a project in Zvishavane rural were the organization is assisting older persons aged 60 and above with agricultural inputs, building toilets and boreholes. Those aged 80 years and above receive bimonthly cash transfers of $30,00. The impact has been positive out of all these interventions. A number of these older persons no longer depend on charity from well wishers who do not frequently assist them, but are now a charity in their community. They can now assist their neighbours with food, but above all they can now look after themselves and their families with so much ease.
If adopted by the government and other stakeholders from the non-governmental organisation, any one or all of the interventions mentioned above has a potential to change the lives of older persons positively. It should be noted that the state has a responsibility of looking after the welfare of vulnerable groups, especially, and this includes older persons themselves. Currently very few older persons, if any are receiving government assistance. It should be noted that the current generation of the aged the during their youthful days where not fully integrated into the cash economy as they worked for the Smith regime as cooks, gardeners, farm laborers amongst other menial jobs. This therefore implies that older persons could not make savings to support their older years.
The government should therefore assist them with grants that would enable them to ease the suffering the suffering they are experiencing currently. Their situation is made worse by the fact that AIDS is wiping the younger the younger generation, leaving the aged who have no source of income, looking after orphans. Meager pensions for those that were formally employed are today not making a difference in the lives of older persons. This has rather trapped older persons into the cycle of poverty. Despite commitments made in policies such as the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2002 older persons often do not receive any sound financial assistance and they are always struggling to pay for medicines, food and the basic costs of childcare.
Countries policies have not been recognizing the caring role of older persons. The current Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (ZINASP) does fully recognize the caring role of older persons. This document is a national guide in the implementation of interventions to combat the impact of HIV and AIDS and to reduce further spread of the epidemic. Whenever vulnerable groups, groups at risk are mentioned older persons are not equally recognized as any one of those. The documents appreciates that 909% of orphans are AIDS orphans but it does not however mention or indicate who the carers are. The document also appreciates that there are primary care givers who need assistance from trained secondary care givers, but it does not mention who these primary care givers are, and what are their needs. As this is a national guide to programming, these omissions will therefore mean that there will be no interventions by government and non-governmental organizations that directly address the needs of older persons in the face of HIV and AIDS.
The old aged are going through difficult and traumatic times due to the current economic recession the country is going through. The difficult economic times has seen a reduction in the overall support the organization has previously been getting from the corporate sector. Individuals as well who have been fetching far deeper from their pockets are now starved of excess funds and can no longer afford to cheap in and offer assistance. Older people remain the poorest members of society with little or no income to sustain the daily material needs of the sick, orphans and own needs. Some societies generally regard old age as a burden resulting in neglect and little or no attention to their needs.
Apart from just looking after AIDS orphans, the aged also look after vulnerable children. Vulnerable due to any one or more of the following situations. The economic condition has also seen more people opting for greener pastures in the Diaspora especially in United Kingdom, South Africa, Botswana, Australia and many other countries. The young middle aged groups embarking in this search for greener pastures live their children under the care of grandparents. This ultimately increases caring roles for older persons who are actually in need of care and attention in their day to day living.
In spite of the important roles they play they are still marginalized in programmes that they can contribute to for national development. Most policies and programmes on HIV and AIDS fail to involve the aged at a time when they are actually involved in home based care of our sick relatives, and ultimately caring for orphans orphaned by HIV and AIDS.
During their early years, older persons by virtue of their age commanded positions of authority in society and family setups. Today the aged are leading a difficult life. Regardless of them being pillars of most families were they are supporting sick relatives and orphans, they still are neglected and only a few people appreciate their contributions in keeping families and societies together.
