REPORT REGULATION OF AGEING POLICY AND AWERENESS RAISING CAMPAING HELD AT KILOSA ON _____________________________

1.0 INTRODUTION

The Tanzania ageing policy was established in 2003 to guide services provision to the elderly in order to mitigate a number of problems facing them which include:

Inadequate health services, pension, lack of older people participation in important decisions affecting National Development, HIV/AIDS, brutal killing of older people, older people women in particular.

However the National Ageing Policy is facing a number of shortcomings in the implementation because it lacks law legislation to address older people right and entitlements.

“The current Tanzania social and legal system does not provide adequate protection and security to older people as a special group”

Consequently older people have no access to their rights and entitlements they deserve from the government. An effective National Ageing Policy must be pronounced to stipulate clearly its focus on:

• Recognition of older people as resources
• Allocation of resources for older people’s Income Generation Activities (IGA) and their welfare.
• Creation of conducive environment for provision of basic services.
• Preparation of strategies and programs geared toward elimination of negative altitudes and age discrimination.

Regulation of the Ageing Policy and awareness raising among the older people and others stakeholder in demanding for their rights is imperatives in older to ensure that the older people right long life is rewarded, their voices heard and are leading dignified healthy and secure their lives

 

 

2.0 OBJECTIVES

The objective of the one day campaign is to raise the awareness of Kilosa district decision makers, older people themselves and other stakeholders on changes in legislation laws polices and practices to protect older people

3.0 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDES;

3.1 To train and raise awareness on the National Policy on Ageing

3.2 To identify gaps in NAP and practice and suggest solutions.

3.3 To provoc debates on the existing 1977 Tanzania Constitution and practices related to older people concerns

3.4 to motivate and encourage older people, CMT and media practitioners participations in the new constitution to ensure inclusion of Older People concerns

3.5 promotion, mainstreaming of older people’s issues through enforcement of councils implementation of older people’s right and entitlements

Laws and policies that include issues related to older people needs;

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights and constitution of Tanzania
• Human Right Organization report 2010
• Organization of older people reports 2010
• MKUKUTA

 

MKUKUTA sets the targets of 100% of eligible older people to access freed medication by 2010. Unfortunately the dissemination resourcing and implementation of the strategy remains patchy across the country.

• National Healthy Policy considers the need for provision of health services to older people although implementation faces constraints such as poor administrative structure and procedures bureaucratic hindrances and procedures, unavailability of proper medical services and medication.
• National Social Protection Framework includes universal protection for all older people but is not implemented so far.
• The National Ageing Policy 2003 is not regulated. However in 2010 NAP reviewed and a bill that provides legal framework for its implementation drafted passed by MPS signed by the presidents and tabled in the parliament in 2012. Hopefully to be proved in 2013.

TOPICS COVERED

• Meaning and concept of NAP
• National Ageing Policy and MKUKUTA statements on older people issues
• Rationale for enacting the policy
• The situation of older people in Tanzania
• Tanzania Social Aid Fung (TASAF)
• Inclusion of older peoples issues into District councils plans and budget
• Illustrated examples from others District Council Action Plans

CHALLENGES FACING OLDER PEOPLE.

• Poor access to health services
• Income poverty
• HIV and AIDS related challenges
• Dehumanization and brutal killings of Older People
• Universal Social Pension for all older people 60+ regardless of their status
• Discrimination of older people from government plans and budgets
• Lack of older people representative in decision making at all government levels
• Burdened with the difficulties of care for their (OVCS) dependants

 

AWARENESS RAISING

5.0 Proceedings of the workshop

5.1 The flow.

The flow of each topic took into account the following;

• Content of the topic
• Materials and facilitations methods applicable to the topic under presentation and allocated time

5.2 TIME

The session totaled nine (9) hours from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, punctuated by 30. 30 minutes tea breakfast and 1hr lunch time  

5.3 facilitation role cons;

• To present the overhead projected topics to the audiences step by steps
• To guide through the learning process to all key decision makers and moderate situation in the class, in other words, the facilitator was the stimulant of the learning situation and experience sharing among the participants
• To stimulates and motivate creativity and flow of ideas from the participants, the facilitator encouraged ideas flow from all participants
• To develop insight feelings of the key decision makers to positively respond to plight of older issues.

The facilitators presentation was characterized with brainstorming, groups discussion followed with plenary presentation by different groups comprised of participants representatives from older people forums, Council Management Team (CMT) MOREPEO, Older People themselves and media practitioners (both print and electronic)

Each of the groups participants reported to the plenary on it contribution into older people concerns.

• MOREPEO works effectively with Kilosa District Management Team on NAP statements implementations.
• ODFs have been established and OPMG elected and trained.
• District Focal Person have been appointed and actively tracking older people’s concerns, older people issues inclusion in Kilosa councils plans and budgeting
• MOREPEO seeks and disseminate list of older people rights and entitlements to OPFs and community to mobilize their voices, their entitlements to the decision makers
• MOREPEO mobilize OP participation in the on- going new constitution establishment to ensure older people’s concerns inclusion in the new constitution
• MOREPEO through the Morogoro Regional Commissioner has been able to influence the Districts Director to ensure expenses for two older people’s transport and four (4) days allowance as expenses for four days participation during the Older People’s 1^st October. International day celebration which is held in Mwanza national wide this year (2012).

 

KILOSA OLDER PEOPLE

Kilosa District Older People, both men and women realize and appreciate their formation into OP forums. United, they have gathered encouragement to voice with confidence about their entitlements.

The OP chain person Mr Chayeka said “we have started to claim for free medical treatment property tax exemption and have our nominees representing us in village councils and WDC levels.

The OPFs secretariat made an engagement with the Kilosa District doctor to claim on behalf of older people for free medical services and specifically to get an his response as to why older people drugs are more often then not available for older people” . They received a positives response and were promised good supply of drug soon. Kilosa older people are capable of engaging in debates with policy makers and services providers.

A group of ADA and two OPMG members paid a Corley call to Kilosa District Council Director to discuss with him on the celebration of this year Older People’s day at their Districts.

In the process of identification of older people in the recent exercise of providing them with ID, the Kilosa CMT spontaneously recognized and understands vulnerability of older people and their dependents.

“ the Identity Cards according to the district Director and the councils chairperson will act as the basic for the allocation and disbursement of different resources to older people”.

Kilosa DPLO in his presentation narrated that in 2011/2012 financial year the District councils allocated and discussed 196 Identity Cards to older people

In 2012/13 the district council allocated 5,000,000 million Tsh to 10 older people for IGA and 500,000 Tsh loan to a group of older people for IGA activities as well.    

WAY FOWARD

1. Kilosa older people`s representatives commitment on the development of the key advocacy messages on rights and entitlements of OP, Universal pension, health services, to free medical services , killing of older persons ,and older people representation in decision making bodies.
2. Kilosa OP plans for an exchange study visit to Morogoro Municipality OPFs ,OPMGs and ADA groups.
3. Learning on how to use local medias for advocacy purposes.
4. One to one engagement between older people and Kilosa CMT members.
5. Capacity building in lobbying and advocacy to enable Ops to analyze policies and developing key advocacy messages as well to identify key target groups.