Let’s save the aged from extreme poverty

An elderly man in a poor settlement

Government should pay heed to and quickly act on the advice by Development Pathways to rescue our senior citizens from extreme poverty. A report by the UK-based organisation, released in Kampala this week, should worry us all.

It says up to 80 per cent of Uganda’s elderly are in dire need.
The report says our aged parents live in extreme poverty, with only two out of 50 of our aged 1.4 million citizens affording only Shs2,700 a day.

They can afford only a cup of coffee per person per day! Moreover, as one of the elders from Kyenjojo said, old age comes with a lot of financial needs, including covering hospital bills, transport, paying for utilities and groceries.

Yet in their advanced age, they can no longer engage in physically demanding wage employment. Worse, our elders are vulnerable to neglect and marginalisation both at home and in public spaces, and are exposed to deprivations, including through land grabbing, coercion, and physical violence by their children, relatives, and community members.

From the above, it’s urgent that government listens to the advice by Development Pathways to increase the elders’ stipend under the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) from the meagre Shs25,000 to Shs40,000 to reduce their vulnerability.

Second, government should consider adopting the proposal by the Elders Forum chairperson, Justice James Ogoola, to speedily reform the current pension scheme so that even the old who never worked for government can benefit upon retirement. Currently, only about seven per cent of the elderly are pensionable.

Our argument is not that the current regular but meagre payment to our seniors of 65 years and above has not helped.

To the contrary, it has enabled the elders, who have been rendered vulnerable by advanced age, lead independent, self-fulfilled and dignified lives.

The handout, though stingy, has also cushioned our elders to soak up the pressures of caring for orphans and children often abandoned in their care by relatives.

Also, even if only minimally, the scheme contributes to socio-economic growth, has enabled them send these children to village schools; buy livestock, and run small retail businesses. To make the above propositions workable, the fund can be expanded in several ways.

One is for government to create more awareness on its benefits and encourage Ugandans to finance the scheme. Another is for government to make savings for social protection integral part of the economy.

In sum, we should accept ageing as an irreversible medical condition and caring for older persons as human beings with equal rights as citizens. We owe it to our elders to live and age with dignity.