Implemented Programme Activities by MOREPEO

1.1        The Older Women’s Inheritance Rights Project:

Under Comic Relief Funds which aimed to promote increased understanding of older women regarding their widowhood and inheritance rights to create an environment that supports the access, attainment and safeguarding of these rights, was in force from 2003 to 2008.

We succeeded to train 270 older people from 9 wards as community paralegals who actively raised older women awareness on their legal rights awareness and provided support and advice to their communities on older women’s rights.

 

Project impact includes ;-

• 30 widows in the project areas have regained assets formerly taken by false inheritors. One typical example in this case is Mama Amina (76) of Mwembeni, Mazimbu Ward.
• 14 out of 32 matrimonial disputes were settled by trained community paralegals
• 26 out of inheritance cases were settled by community paralegal and the remaining 43 cases were referred to other legal institutions.
• There is increased awareness and   demand of older women inheritance rights. They have now acquired enough courage and confidence to seek for their inheritance rights through government and legal institutions.

 

1.2        From 2006 to 2008, we implemented Block Grant (BG) Action 1 Project Activities, under EU Funds which aimed at increasing capacity for older people to care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Main activities of Action 1 included:

• Establishment of 9 Older People’s Advice and Information Centres (3 scattered centres for each council).

The centres were resourced with relevant literature, TV and Video sets to facilitate information exchange and advice giving. Activities include:

-              Fortnightly talks given by older people, people caring for OVC, counselors (peer educators) and district officials on HIV/AIDS and services available.

-              Each centre has 15 to 24 counselors (peer educators) who work in the communities. We trained 200 of them.

-              There are 20 to 30 Drama performers for each centre for outreach services in the communities. 270 Drama performers were trained on community drama theatre and skills based on HIV/AIDS. Community mobilization and sensitization are done through “ngoma” songs, poetry reading and drama.

-              There is also provision for psycho social support and advice to families affected by HIV/AIDS, - these include assistance to register OVC and referrals to centres and VCTs.

 

 

 

BG Project Impact includes:-

• Center coordinators together with peer educators and drama groups have sensitized community on HIV/AIDS, older people’s rights and entitlements.
• Information and advice centres have facilitated information exchange to Ops and the communities.
• They have supported communities access to much needed advice and information regarding the impact of HIV/AIDS on older people through drama group performances, seminars, workshops and outreach services by counselors.
• Peer educators have acquired knowledge and basic skills on counseling. Services that are provided by them are:

-              Supportive counseling, referral to VCT, spiritual counseling, collecting ARV’s and palliative counseling.

 

• The data collection from centres revealed that services accessed by OP included:-

-              referral to VCT - 130

-              supportive counseling - 382

-              palliative counseling - 8

-              spiritual counseling - 224

-              5 Ops living with HIV are now accessing ARV’s.

• The average attendance of older people at VCTs before the establishment of the project was 1-3 OP per month. Attendance increased to 25 OP per month at the end of the project.
• At the beginning of the project ( 2005) in the 9 OP information and advice centres, out of 270 OP interviewed, 24 (8.8%) had little knowledge about HIV/AIDS. At the end of project year (2008) 176 Ops (91.1%) acquired knowledge on HIV/AIDS.
• At the beginning of the project (2005) only 19 Ops registered their orphaned grand children. Since the project also educated Ops on the importance of education, 153 Ops in 9 centres registered their orphaned to primary school by 2008.

 

 

1.3        Poverty reduction for older people caring for PLWHA and OVCs.

Initiated activities aimed at increasing the income potential of older people through initiatives that they can easily manage. 180 goats and 90 beehives under BG funds were provided to rural families headed by older people, creating immediate income generating opportunities to OP families. In addition, 570 more goats were purchased and provided to OP families out of Gurnsey Co-funded money and 15 other more for the same purpose, out of World Granny funds, making a total of 765 goats. While in the Municipality, 140 chickens were purchased out of World Granny funds. We therefore enabled:

-   380 families headed by OP to be goats beneficiaries.

-   90 families headed by OP to be beehives beneficiaries.

-   70 families headed by OP to be chicken beneficiaries.

Chicken and goats distribution is envisaged to be a sustainable exercise. Each recipient provides two off-spring goats/four off-spring chicks to the next older person.

 

Impact

• Beehives, chicken and Goats beneficiaries gained prestige and sense of ownership of means of Income generating activities, some for the first time in their lives .
• The beneficiaries acquired knowledge and skills on goats keeping.
• Goats and chicken rearing increased their income generating opportunities through:

-              Selling of goats off springs.

-              Little milk for families consumption.

-              Sales of eggs for money.

-              Eggs as diet supplement and manure for gardening purposes.

Beehives beneficiaries acquired knowledge on beehive keeping.

They have been encouraged to expand honey production to making more new beehives.

This is particularly practices at Vikenge ward of Mvomero District.

 

1.4        We coordinated 6 meetings for Government officials, NGOs and FBOs working on HIV/AIDS fromMorogoroMunicipality, Morogoro Rural and Mvomero districts. We achieved to establish linkages with other actors in the area of HIV/AIDS for greater coordination in combating the challenges of HIV/AIDS, and influenced them to incorporate OP issues into their programmes and budgets.

 

Impact for this activity

• The three local councils ofMorogoroMunicipality, Morogoro Rural District and Mvomero have been convinced to incorporate OP issues into their plans and budgets.
• The three local governments have initiated to support older people groups through Tanzania National Action Fund (TASAF)

Eg.

-       Morogoro District council has budgeted 44 million T.shillings for op groups in 15 Villages for income generating activities.

-       Mvomero District released 22,427,324.97/= T. shillings for poultry and milk goats projects in 2009/10 financial year.

-      MorogoroMunicipalityhas allocated a total of 21 million T.shillings for two Wards (Boma and Mwembesongo) for OP rice project in 2009/10 financial years.

 

1.5        PVD Implemented and On-going Activities.

The overall objective of the project is “To contribute to the achievement of MKUKUTA’s overall goals of growth and the reduction of income poverty, improved quality of life and social well being, good governance and accountability”.

The specific objective is to ensure that the concerns and entitlements of vulnerable people are incorporated into decentralized district planning and budgeting in order to support the achievement of MKUKUTA targets to improve the delivery of pro-poor services.

We implemented our activities as follows:

• We carried out meetings in all 9 mitaa of Bigwa and all 15 mitaa of Kingolwira (in project target area) focused to inform vulnerable groups (specifically the elderly to their entitlements to key services).
• Each mtaa was reached and guided on the formation of Old People Forum Committee (OPFC) as a grass root basis for demanding OP rights and entitlements.
• A total of 48 members of Older People Monitoring Group (OPMG) i.e. Bigwa 18, Kingolwira 30) have been selected and trained in their roles and duties in their respective localities and in attending Ward Development Council (WDC) meetings as OP representatives.
• We procured and distributed over 2500 Mosquito insecticide Treated Nets to benefit older people and their dependants.
• The procurement and distribution of school uniform (a pair of uniform, shoes, sweater and socks) and educational materials (text books, exercise books, ball pens, mathematical kit, rulers and pencils) provided to 108 OVCs under care of older people.   We will continue supporting more OVCs. The exercise is aimed at reducing burden for OPs and hopefully improve OVC school attendance and academic performance.
• Provision of identity cards to 1355 eligible older people in the project area. This activity was preceded with the identification process in collaboration with the Municipal council, ward and mitaa leaders, and OPMGs.
• A workshop aimed to improve the availability of data on vulnerable groups at local government authority level drew the Municipal key decision makers and department heads who were enlightened on accurate and quality data collection, processing, analysis, interpretation, and storing information.
• We conducted an initial and a review Municipal forum to influence planning at the district level and attended by key district officials who are responsible in planning so as integrate issues of older people in their development plans and budgets.
• A series of workshops were held in each Mtaa of the two project area wards to map existing informal safety net channels for vulnerable groups at the village level.
• Meeting identified OPs in their respective areas and villagers committed to solve OP needs within their capability at community level.

 

PVD PROJECT IMPACT INCLUDES:-

• Quality life of older people is now improved;
• Each Mtaa   at Bigwa, kingolwira and Mwembesongo Wards has now formulated long term plans to support their older people. Which includes fetching water, washing clothes, house repaire and building of latrines.
• Increased social security of Older People in MorogoroMunicipality. For instance 934 out of 1,108 older people in Mwembesongo ward are being supported by their communities.

• Older people issues are now incorporated into Mitaa, Ward, District/Municipal plans and budget.

• Older people 60 years and above inMorogoroMunicipalityare now receiving free Medical services at all municipal health facilities.

• OPMGs are now used effectively to carry forward Ops complaints and demands to duty bearers.
• Vulnerable older people in Four Mitaa of Mwembesongo Ward are now provided with free clean and safe water.
• The community is now aware of OP        rights and needs hence they have set plans to rehabilitate   older peoples` shelters in Mwembesongo Ward.

 

• Older people from the remaining 17 wards of Morogoro Municipal council are now demanding for Identity cards to enable them access free medical services .
• School attendance for OVCs who were supported with school uniforms and materials by the project, is hire than before intervention. They are a bit happier and willing to attend school. They can now mix up and play with other school children.
• Kingolwira and Bigwa community through their OPFCs and Mtaa Development Committee have now started to feel a need of in-kind support to OVCs living within their community.
• Other stakeholders like FARAJA TRUST FUND, UWAMO, TUNAJALI, PACT International (T), local and international FBOs e.g. World vision, Bakwata, Mgolole Sisters, KKKT, Tanzania Assemblies of God Church (TAG), and Presbyterian Church are now regular supporters of OVCs not only in our pilot project area, but in the entire municipality.

 

• Increased knowledge on data processing by MOREPEO members, OPMGs representative and Morogoro Municipal council leadership.

• Increased knowledge on lobbying and advocacy by OPMG members, WDC members and MOREPEO members.

 

2.6.   Health Rights and Entitlements for Older People and their  Dependents in Morogoro (Cordaid Funded Project July 2009 – June 2012)

 This is a new project commenced in July 2009. It is implemented in three wards in MorogoroMunicipalityand three wards in Morogoro District Council,12 villages. Purpose of the project is to ensure older  people and their dependents are able to exercise their health rights  and entitlements in the two councils ofMorogoroMunicipality and Morogoro District Council.

 

The project was launched and partners were oriented with the project  and financial management.

  The project intended to achieve following short objective.

1. Increased awareness of and access to health services by older people and their    dependents according to national policies and strategies by June 2012

1. Improved capacity of the two councils in Morogoro to collaborate with communities, Faith Based Organizations and Older People’s Organizations in mainstreaming older people and their dependents’ health needs into health delivery systems and processes by June 2012.
2. Improved ability of vulnerable older people’s households in selected villages in the two councils to generate income and effectively access community safety nets to address ill-health by May 2012
3. Strengthened capacity of MOREPEO and the two councils to effectively plan, monitor and evaluate health interventions for older people and their dependents by the end of June 2012

        All in the entire project is envisaged to improve Ops access to health free   services and their dependants inMorogoroMunicipalityand   Morogoro   Rural District.

 

2.7. Social protection Project for older people and their dependants in Morogoro and Dodoma Districts.

          (Cordaid Funded Project    Sept 2009-Sept  2011)

This project was commenced in September; 2009 and phased out in 2011 September.It was  being implemented in three districts of MorogoroMunicipality,    Morogoro   Rural District andDodomaMunicipality.

      

Goal of the project is to ensure improved social and income security for older and vulnerable people, while its purpose is to ensure older people actively participate in, and benefit from, processes to improve social and income security inTanzania.

 

         Project outputs include:-

    

1.  Older Peoples’ Associations and groups creating demand for social security.

2. A strengthened civil society for policy influencing on social and income security.

3. Integrated approaches to work/income security and role of older  people’s groups/associations identified and shared.

 

3.0 Other on going Projects not linked with HAI

 

3.1  Malaria campaign in all 274 Mitaa of the Morogoro Municipality       funded by      Plan International Tanzania to conduct anti – Malaria workshops at   Mitaa and Ward levels, primary schools ,FBOs, NGOS, and other stake holders.

 

3.2  Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) whose agenda is     concerned with poverty and its alleviation in rural areas.     MOREPEO has been granted funds by REPOA to conduct    participatory research at Mkambarani village in Morogoro      District Council.

 

3.3  Communication and Malaria Initiative inTanzania(COMMIT)

     The project is funded by USAID and Coordinated by Population  Service International (PSI) conducted in all 25 Wards of   Morogoro District Council. This is a 5 year project (2009 -   2014). MOREPEO`s role is to  monitor and supervise the implementation of the project.

 

2.0        GAPS

• National Ageing Policy has not yet given legal frame work.
• Experience obstacles through Beurocratic procedures to decision on makers to approve and incorporate key OP issues in their plans and budgets.