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Age-in Action: Mpumalanga

PREAMBLE

Founded in 1956 as "The South African Council for the Aged", now known as "Age-in-Action", is the body representing more than 2.7 million older people. The Organisation also has over 800 NGO's as members who provide vital services to more than 150 000 older persons in need of care. In terms of its mission, namely to protect and promote the interests and well-being of all elderly persons, we strive to:

• To provide care and counselling to poor, needy and abused older persons – 60 years and over – where no other service exists.
• To provide health care services to poor, needy and abused older persons, including the provision of preventative and educational programmes relating to HIV/AIDS and support to their families.
• To provide basic adult education, training and development of older persons including outreach programmes to marginalized and rural communities.
• To provide training for older persons on economic empowerment and continued employment.
• To advocate and lobby for the rights of older persons, including the provision of legal, paralegal and investigative services to ensure that their human and democratic rights are recognized and respected.
• To conduct relevant social research to form the basis for intervention and development programmes.

STRUCTURE

There are three regions in the province namely, Nkangala, Gert sibande and Ehlanzeni (lowveld) which are all serviced by the provincial director, auxiliary worker, homebase care co-ordinator, secretary and volunteers.

PROBLEMS

High rate of unemployment/poverty:

Poverty and unemployment, especially amongst women, is increasing in Mpumalanga. Poverty manifests itself in various ways:

• homelessness,
• no access to education and other basic services,
• lack of income; and
• inadequate housing.

Poverty affects both men and women, but because of gender divisions of labour and women's responsibilities for the household's welfare, women in Mpumalanga bear a greater burden. They have to manage their household needs under conditions of increasing scarcity. 60% of women in the province are not working. In the rural areas, they spend hours of their time and labour collecting wood and carrying water.

Lack of: 
Lack of health care for older persons who are frail living at home, lack of infrastructure for older persons mainly in rural areas, elderly abuse is also rife in the province as special financial abuse, lack of safety measures for older persons more especial during pay days, housing and accommodation for older persons, poor services at the pay points more especial at the post office.

HIV/AIDS 
The province rated second in HIV/AIDS pandemic. That means a double job for older persons as they will be expected to take care of their own terminal ill children and AIDS orphans.

A need for adult base education services to older persons on how to use the modern technology i.e.

SERVICES FOR THE AGED

Capacity Building

Strengthening of elderly organizations with information to improve efficiency and sound management in organizations continues to be a priority for Age in Action.

Capacity building covers the following trainings: Management and the roles of the office bearers, financial management, skills development (business skills, arts and crafts), victim empowerment programmes, adult base education and income generating projects, such as food gardening etc.

Economic empowerment.

Age in Action also strives to create and exploit economic empowerment opportunities for older persons which will enable older persons to remaining creative and active.

Empowerment of older persons in tourism initiatives.

Establishment of co-operatives projects for older persons. * Establishment of small business enterprise for older persons.

Home Base Care/Lending Depots

• This programme ensures that frail older persons, HIV/Aids infected people and orphans under the care of older persons receive efficient community care and the beneficiaries remain in their communities as much as they can.
• Care givers who are mostly volunteers, receive skills and knowledge on handling chronic and frail older persons.
• The establishment of lending depots, ensures that families have necessary equipment aids to lighten the burden of caring for the frail loved ones.

Elderly Abuse

To combat the growing number of elderly abuse, a new Careline was established in 2005 to assist older persons on issues around accommodation/housing, social grants, health issues, counseling and para-legal services including information on support groups. It appeared that the majority of older persons countrywide are not aware of the services rendered to them; therefore a line of this nature is very important.

Advocacy and Lobbying

• To lobby and advocate for the rights of older persons at provincial level.
• To advocate for older persons on pay points facilities to be improved and be accessible to all senior citizens.
• To ensure that the development of service infrastructure is extended to the disadvantaged and underdeveloped communities.
• Community Development
• To establish poverty alleviation projects for older persons to address the root causes of hunger and HIV/Aids with the effort to sustain their low income.
• To establish senior centers to areas where there are no service for older persons.