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MOREPEO BRIEFING REPORT TO IRISH AID FUNDED PROJECT VISITING DELEGATION IN MOROGORO REGION ON 21ST/FEBRUARY/2013.
Our distinguished guests from
• Irish Aid
• HelpAge International Head Office London
• Country partners from Kenya, Uganda , Mozambique and South Africa
• Country Director- HelpAge International - Tanzania Office- Dar-es- Salaam
• Social Protection Manager- HelpAge International - Tanzania office – Dar-es-salaam
• Rights Manager- HelpAge International – Tanzania office – Dar-es- salaam
• Ladies and gentlemen.
May I on behalf of myself and MOREPEO in particular extend to you a cordial welcome to Morogoro in general and MOREPEO. We understand that our HAI partners in Dar-es- salaam have take initiatives of welcoming you to our beloved country on the day of your arrival.
We fill to be highly honored and privaleged to host this International visiting delegation to our organization. So I say again welcome to Tanzania, welcome to Morogoro and welcome to MOREPEO, KARIBUNI SANA, Please fill at home.
1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 History of MOREPEO
Morogoro Elderly People’s Organization (MOREPEO) with a former name of Morogoro Retired Teachers` Association (MORETEA) was established since 1997 with registration number SO. 9520 of 6th August 1998 as an age care service provider (educating) organization to all elderly people in Morogoro regardless of their social status. Change of name from MORETEA to MOREPEO was legally effected since July 2010 to encompass all older people aged 60 and above into the organization irrespective of their social background.
Over these years, MOREPEO has developed into an active respected local age care Non-Governmental Organization in Morogoro Municipality, Morogoro Rural and Mvomero Councils where we are actively in operation, and lately, our programmes have been extended to cover Kilosa, Kilombero, and Ulanga District Councils respectively. We strive to create a wider collaborative network with other NGOs and Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) to promote older people needs , rights, and entitlements as stipulated in National ageing Policy(NAP), National Strategy for growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) phase I & II , popularly termed MKUKUTA, National Health Policy AND Prime Minister’s Guidelines, etc.
MOREPEO programmes envisage to raise awareness to the elderly themselves, the community, the local authorities and other stakeholders to address and incorporate ageing issues into their programmes so that the interventions can lead to improve quality life of the aged in Morogoro.
MOREPEO and HelpAge International (T) have maintained close working relation since 2000. Under this cooperation, we at the grassroots and HAI at national level have implemented together programmes (each with agreed specific roles) funded by Comic Relief, Guernsey Overseas Aid committee, World Granny, Foundation for Civil Societies, European Union, Cordaid of Netherlands, and Swedish International Development Agency, recently we are implementing the Irish Aid Funded project and Accountability Program in Tanzania (ACT) project . And very significantly to the older people of Tanzania, HAIT and its partners (MOREPEO included), fully participated at various stages for the development of NAP draft document,we have further fully participated in engagement programmes at National level in regard to Social Protection demands (i.e Universal Social Pension to the elderly), free medication and inclusion of older people’s rights in the Tanzania New Constitution.

2.0 MISSION
To raise societal awareness, influence and supportive efforts on older people’s access to their needs, wants, rights and entitlements in Morogoro region.
3.0 VISION

MOREPEO has a vision of a Society in which all Older People and their dependants live in a dignified, healthy, secure and improved quality of life.
4.0 MAJOR DOMAIN S OF WORK
 Lobbying and Advocacy
 Training/Education.
 Project Activities.
4.1 Lobbying and Advocacy is MOREPEO’S foremost work in focus to the elderly themselves, key official bearers, decision makers, planners, and service providers at all levels ( from village/Mtaa, Ward, Distinct/Municipal Councils, Regional to National level and to other key stakeholders to include CSOs, FBOs, CBOs etc ).
4.2 Training /Education aimed at sensitization and awareness raising to the community at large, local and National leadership, decision makers, planners, office bearers and other key stakeholders in regard to older people’s rights and entitlements. This is done through workshops, seminars, dialogue formal and informal meetings, forums, drama, cultural dance/arts use of Medias, posters and Brochures.

4.3 Running and implementing specific Project Activities in specified project areas in accordance with proposed projects for benefits of older people and their dependants.


5.0 MAIN PURPOSE OF MOREPEO.
Planning, designing, soliciting funds, coordinating and implementing relevant programmes pertaining to the elderly and their dependants in relation to advocacy, training programmes, income-generating activities, and other development programmes at large.
6.0 SOME MAIN OBJECTIVES
6.1 To work for and with older people and their dependants, socially, economically and politically.

6.2 To voice, push and influence older people’s needs rights and entitlements to the community at large, relevant authorities, and other stakeholders.

6.3 To establish and run Centre of learning to the elderly and community at large.

6.4 Networking with internal and external stakeholders/partners focusing on older people’s improved livelihood and other services.

7.0 MOREPEO PROGRAMMES IN OPERATION.

7.1 Implementation of Irish Aid Funded Programme.
The preparatory stage took us three weeks of July, while the implementation stage started in August 2012. As such we are within the first six months of programme implementation. However, in we have successfully carried out all the four (4) planned outputs for the last two quarters of the programme (August-October 2012, November 2012- January2013) in accordance with our planned action.

The three covered objectives include:-
1. Engagement programme meetings at district level.

2. Meetings programes at Village level.
3. Training programes covered.

In order to make my report short but concise, I have opted to use matrix form to read as report as follows:-
SUMMERY- MATRIX TYPE OF MOREPEO-AFFORD BRIEFING REPORT
Activity Objective level Participants
Achievements Challenges
60+ Less than 60yrs total
A. Meetings
1. Engagement meeting with Kilosa district Department Heads, WEOs, some key councilors and older people`s representatives. Aimed at holding the local government office bearers to be accountable for the delivery for social protection services.
At district level 5 49 54
Increased awareness of OPs issues among local government office bearers.

Positive promises to include older people`s issues in district plans and budgets for the next financial year of 2013/014 Experiences shows that older people continue to be denied and discriminated in getting credit for micro enterprises and even in accessing entrepreneurial training programs run from time to time in their communities by LGA economic sectors and other agencies. This is a set back in enhancing the economic status of the older people.
Bureaucratic practices of the office bearers.


2. Meeting with Council management team, DED, all Kilosa district department heads,30 VEOs, 5 Councilors and 5 older people representatives.
To carry out mainstreaming programes in planning, budgeting and monitoring. At district level 5
49 54 All departments prioritized older people issues in their plans and budgets for the next 2013/014 financial year.
Lack of legal representation of older people in the decision making bodies:
In project areas of all two district councils, organs at mitaa/village and ward level, are been invited older people representatives (OPMGs in particular) to participate in the decision making meetings. To this day due to the continuing of unregulated NAP, older people representatives have no power to vote. Older people major challenge is how to include them in these bodies as representatives with full legal status.

3. Engagement meeting with Kilosa district Council Financing institutions and TASAF Micro- financing and development of self help schemes. To influence establishment of a non contributory universal pension to all older people aged sixty and above. of
To enable OP develop confidence to meet with MPs in their respective constituencies so as to express their challenges. Intervention on lobbing and advocacy on these particular issue are also being carried out at a national level.


At district level.
24
49
73
Currently the government promises by responsible minister for labour and employment development during last parliament budget session, has assured Universal Social pension payments to commence next financial year (2013/14).
The community at large, and the elderly in particular, have been sensitized in the 10 wards of Sabasaba, Kihonda, Dumila, Mvumi,Rudewa,Kisiki,Behewa,Kimamba `A`, Mikumi and Kimamba `B` to engage their members of parliament to make a close follow - up of the universal social pension to all older people aged 60+ at parliament level.



We have observed that plans and promises made by leaders lack commitment and seriousness in addressing and giving solutions to older people`s issues.

Generally, KDC, like most other LGAs, employs bureaucratic principles in decision making and policy implementation. Hence, reluctance and slowness to act promptly impend plans developed and promises given.

- All in all, KDC authorities and community leaders are of the opinion that MOREPEO should provide necessary required resources (financial, material and personnel) to enable success of the programme – rather than owning this programme themselves right from the start.
4. Follow – Up on mainstreaming programme, CHF implementation, TASAF, etc

To review all plans made during the mainstreaming workshop
District level
11
23
34 KDC has subsidized 5,000,000/= as CHF premiums to the most vulnerable older people .
KDC through HIV/AIDS has supported 470 OVCs orphaned by HIV/AIDS cared for by grandparents to access primary, secondary and vocation education.
Kilosa district Council has supported 10 cattle daily to one group of10 older people based in Magubike village. Every member benefited one caw. This project is in the system of receiving caw and gives back a caw to another neighbor older person. The project coasted Tshs.15,782,000/=
In the year of 2012/2013 the district reimbursed Tshs. 8,579,560/= to support milk goats keeping to two groups of older people of Msowelo village (each group comprised of 10 members).
CHF programme was introduced in Kilosa District since 1998. It gained some popularity at first, but it is now fast fading out due to the fact that:-
- Low level of awareness to the community to join CHF because LGAs neglect to actively and adequately advertise it.
- Those that pay CHF premiums regularly are now losing hope for not benefiting from CHF.
- The community lacks knowledge on how CHF works.

CHF procedures for payment of drugs and other health services to user members are cumbersome.
Tendency of drug insufficiency in most health facilities exaggerate people to consider CHF as a sheer waste of their money.












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