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Rural Aging Issues
around the World
Articles in
Arabic | Chinese
| French | Russian |
Spanish
Africa
Somalia: Hujale
Jama, "I Never Thought I Would Depend on Anyone But Look at Me Now" (March 2, 2010)
(Article also available in Arabic)
Prolonged and persistent droughts have drastically changed the fortunes of 80 year old Hujale Jama. Originally from a village 480km east of Bosasso, the commercial capital of the self-declared autonomous state of Puntland, Jama was once financially secure. The droughts have slowly decimated his livestock and today he lives with relatives in Bosasso without any cattle.
Kenya: A Moment with Dandora Women Care Givers (March 26, 2009)
Damaris Wanjiku, 63 years old and a widow, has not only continued to take care of her children but their children as well. Dandora, a dumping site for Nairobi, is a mixture of shanty and decent houses. Its over 600,000 habitants are mainly jobless and have little formal education. Most of the caregivers here are 50 years or older. Because many of the grandparents are old and weak, some orphaned grandchildren tend to live without direction and fall into the trap of HIV/AIDS. Many older people dealing with HIV have to meet extra expenses such as health care, school fees and burial costs despite having no regular income.
Americas & Caribbean
Argentina: Mass Gathering of Older Adults (March 8, 2010)
(Article in Spanish)
More than 200 older persons from the Patagonia region attended a mass gathering to celebrate the success of the program “Old age in the Coast and Mountain Range.” This program was launched under the Law of Integral Protection and Promotion of the Older Adult to promote social tourism among the older population. The main objective is to reach out to elderly in rural areas and help them participate in sharing games and rides, make new friends, and experience valuable cultural and economic resources.
Bolivia: Shelters for the Older Person, an Urgent
Need in Bolivia (February 7, 2010)
(Article in Spanish)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding various projects in Bolivia, especially in the cities of Potosi and Sucre where nursing homes and shelters are being built for the older people in the community. The older people will “grow old actively, with dignity, and with respect” according to program director Walter Mur. The facilities will not only offer healthy food, medical service, and occupational therapy but also a place to make friends and feel at home.
El Salvador: Every Month Two Older Persons are
Abandoned in Rosales (January 10, 2010)
(Article in Spanish)
Families abandon at least 23 older persons in emergency rooms every year in El
Salvador. This situation has increased over time due to rising medical costs and the bad economic situation. Some families have chosen to evict their older relatives if they cannot contribute to the household. The Rosales Hospital in San Salvador does not have any other option
than to send these “abandoned patients” to nursing homes. Not surprisingly, many suffer from malnutrition and depression.
Asia Pacific
Bangladesh: Ever so Vulnerable to Storms, Floods and Sea Level Rises (December 31, 2009)
In Bangladesh, people--especially vulnerable ones like the elderly--are facing the consequences of climate change. Abbasuddin Mollah, a 60-year-old farmer, explains that he has to live on and cultivate flood-prone land. Consequently, because of the salty water, the fields are dying and he can't grow anything any more. Unfortunately, things are going to get worse. Two-thirds of the country is only five meters above sea level. According to a recent report of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Bangladesh is the country most vulnerable to tropical cyclones and sixth most vulnerable to floods. The government
is trying to help people, but if sea and salinity levels rise, millions of Bangladeshis could be displaced and become "climate change refugees."
Europe and
Central Asia
France: Getting Old in Rural Areas (December 16, 2009)
(Article in French)
A recent French study about aging in rural areas reveals that retirees in rural areas are more dependent and have frailer health than older persons in cities. However, 70% of them are happy with their current life, mostly thanks to strong familial support that allows them to stay at home. Finally, concerning leisure activities, the study emphasizes the preference given to physical engagement, such as daily walks and gardening.
Middle East and
North Africa
Palestine: Saving the Planet by Taking Older People Back to Nature (May 15, 2009)
(Article in Arabic)
Often governments and organizations target young people as the group responsible for protecting the future of the environment. Recently however, the Center for the Elderly and the Social Welfare Department in the municipality of Sakhnin (an Arab-Israeli city) arranged a “day in nature” for senior citizens. Hundreds of older people participated in this rural gathering that attempted to “go back to nature.” They took part in a series of traditional cultural activities to emphasize the historical and spiritual link between people and land, helping to generate a sense of social responsibility for the environment.
Global
Report: Life-Course Events and Later-Life
Employment (June 2008)
Researchers compare whether early or later life issues are more important in determining when a person will leave the work force. Early life issues include education, parental background and family formation. Problems of health, disability and pension savings influence late life decisions. The report also demonstrates how men and women face these choices differently.
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