Article from Entebbe News

“Our focus now as HENU is to ensure that we sensitize the various communities on the community life competence Approach which entails promoting the spirit of self reliance in different communities to tackle their own challenges other than waiting for help all the time. We intend to train all councilors representing older persons at all local council levels in the Approach. Since it’s inception in 2007, HENU has extended to 12 districts in Uganda which include Masaka, Kamwenge, Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Wakiso, Oyam, Arua, Iganga, Jinja, Kamuli, Mukono and Mbale and we have trained facilitators in the districts in the community life competence approach”, Namara revealed.

“Together with ministry of Gender, Labour and social development we produced the social Gerontology Manual that offers material that not only increases knowledge but also brings a new way of working with and for the elderly”, added Namara.

Global Learning Festival 2017 participants shared their views

“We are here to learn from HENU that has applied the strength based Approach with such disciplines for almost seven years. Back in Belgium, older persons get health care but aren’t given enough human care and are dumped in institutions where they are left to die”, Celicia Theys, a Belgian participant at the conference said.

Rituu Rituu, a participant from India had this to say; "Everything in India is about young people; the older persons aren’t involved in decision making and they have physical problems, many suffer from loneliness, mental health and usually commit suicide."

Jerome Mwaya, a Tanzanian Participant who works for HELP Age International as a social worker said that though the Tanzanian government treats older persons for free in government Hospitals and has initiated age friendly services such as giving older persons priority in government health facilities and not letting them stand in queues, there is need to constantly advocate for government to introduce a universal pension scheme for older persons to enable them earn an income.

Prof. Shitu Muhammad Bello, a Nigerian participant revealed older persons in Nigeria are catered for by the families and there is less government support and no Policy frame work on Older persons.

“In Nigeria, older persons are catered for by their families and we don’t have institutions or mechanisms for supporting them. Organized community response to deal with issues affecting older persons is missing; there is no policy frame work and there is no government support at the local levels. Uganda through NGOs like HENU has taken a big stride in initiating policies that aim at supporting older persons which other countries should learn”, Prof. Shitu explained.

Agnes Mbalire, a Ugandan participant thanked HENU and constellation for organizing the conference and added that the conference has given them the exposure and enabled them to interact and share views with people from other parts of the world on issues regarding older persons. She however revealed that men (older persons) are reluctant to participate in activities regarding older persons.

The weeklong conference has attracted a total of 60 participants from Uganda, Tanzania, India, Madagascar, France, Belgium, Pakistan, Burundi, Botswana, Sinagpore, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has been organized by HENU in conjunction with Constellation, a Belgian not-profit organization made up of individuals and communities that aim for life competence through SALT (Stimulate, Appreciate, Learn and Transfer).