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Gambia News : Growing economic problems threatens elderly people’s livelihood
Ousman Badjie, secretary general of Ageing with a Smile Initiative (ASI), a new initiative aimed at improving the lives of the elderly people in The Gambia, has observed that the growing economic challenges are forcing individuals and families to be more concerned about their own wellbeing, rather than caring for and supporting others.
He made this remark at a press conference held at briefing the media on the objectives of the new organisation, ASI as well as on activities to mark its launching scheduled to take place on Saturday 9th January 2010.
The press conference was held at the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) building in Kanifing.
According to Badjie, the present economic woes are putting the lives of many disadvantaged elderly people in jeopardy as they are being neglected, and are living without adequate care, suffering in silence.
Studies in some parts of Africa has proven that with minimum support and care, the lives of senior citizens could be changed positively, thus allowing them to live more dignified and fulfilling life.
"The elderly people have contributed significantly towards the socio-economic development of the country and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect," he said, observing that the norms and values of the African tradition of caring for the elderly person are depleting.
He then said that the organisation plans to revitalise this trend.
Speaking further, Badjie said it is important at this time that such eroding norms and values of caring for the elderly person are reintegrated into the social fabric so that the coming generations would also uphold their ancestors’ norms and values of caring for the elderly.
According to the ASI scribe, the trend in Western societies is taking the elders to home care centers, which does not augur well for their psychological health.
He then said ASI aims to improve access to basic health care services to disadvantaged elderly people in the country by meeting them in their homes, promote the re-integration of the elderly in the Gambian social life, as well as promote inter-generational dialogue among other related issues.
He noted that their key intervention areas will be the provision of routine health check-ups for the elderly at home, covering blood pressure, blood sugar, eye care, hearing, dental health and nutrition among others.
"We also plan to promote personal hygiene and basic sanitation for the elderly, preventing the spread of common disease like malaria and tuberculosis among the elderly and facilitate treatment services for each disease," he said.
He disclosed that their other intervention areas will be reviving positive traditional roles for the elderly in Gambian social life, provision of rehabilitative services for them, advocating for the provision of essential services for them by the government, NGOs and the private sector among other key issues. According to Badjie, they would focus on the Greater Banjul Area for a start, focusing people from age 60 and above.
Speaking on the ASI concept, the secretary general said they have mandate to uplift the social life of elders in order to allow them live a more dignified life, thus improving their general conditions.
This, according to him, will be a measure to revert to the traditional values of the Gambian people, who value elderly people and care for them.
Also speaking, Balla Musa Joof, ASI coordinator stressed the need for revamping the African culture of caring for the elderly person.
He said that Africans should not emulate the Western people, whose culture is to ‘deposit’ their elderly people in home care centers. It is important, he said, that family members take care of their own elders.
He concluded by declaring their organisation plans to eliminate the stigmatization of elderly people with medical health implications.
He also stressed the need for elderly people’s sayings to be considered at family levels, noting that the phenomenon of giving elders their due in family decision issues is fading away.
He also expressed their organisation’s willingness to dialogue with the media in order to achieve their goals.
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- Freedom of speech you are the people sitting down waiting for Jammeh to do everything for you. You will only continue to be loosers and wait for him to feed your family. Dont vomit or pass words through your anus for others to digest it. You looser
(Posted on January 26, 2010, 7:12 PM Buba)
- As we all knows that we must all grow old one day, We must all held those taking care of our daily lives responsible for any failure,Untill now i haven't seen any social sytem programed to help the elders once we grow old.Do they really care?
(Posted on January 13, 2010, 4:40 PM B sanyang)
- Love your Mum & Dad. Care for them. And respect them. Look after them as they looked after you when you were young. YOU look after them, don't leave it to your woman...
(Posted on January 9, 2010, 7:58 PM David Riddington)
- my sambou u are very stupid ignorant man,how can u believe lair Jammeh,in a country where people are stuggling to make an end meet,food price soaring,people are hungry,how can Jammeh do that how can he export food ,We are effected by Economic crisis cuz the number of tourist decline,people are getting poorer than before,Jammeh dont care about people he only care his own people and u are one of them,
go and see what goin on the world,only the foolish people wil say Gambia is not effected by economil crises,did u read the articles carefully,idiot
(Posted on January 7, 2010, 9:58 PM freedom of speech)
- Gambia,her people, and her values are at a cross roads. Teaching values, is the job of the parents, which they have successfully done for generation after generation.Fix the economy &things will fall into place, with falling economy everyone will...
(Posted on January 7, 2010, 6:36 PM abdou Rahman Jobe)
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