HELP FOR THE ELDERLY (HfE)

NATIONAL ADVOCACY STRATEGY FOR THE ELDERLY

2015-2018

“Kijana Leo, Mzee Kesho, Tuwalinde Wazee”

OUR VISION

To have a Kenya in which all older people lead dignified, active, healthy and secure lives.

OUR VALUES

We believe in:

•The unique worth of each person at all times•The rights of each older person upheld• The importance of holistic care and support and the value of community interaction

QUOTE

We have a tendency to think of older

people as a separate group

rather than to recognize that

hopefully, old age will be a phase in all

our lives

INTRODUCTION• 2009 Kenya Population Housing Census, states older

persons comprises 10% of the total population 897,607 (males) & 1,028,444 (female)

• 2010, Kenya government introduced the cash transfer program to the elderly and other vulnerable groups and recognized the elderly people in the constitution (KLRC, 2010)

• However a study by the University of Minnesota in 2013 revealed that not all older people are covered. Even those covered are not adequately provided for (Kaschel, 2015).

INTRODUCTION cont..• In the fiscal year 2012/2013 59,000 older persons benefited

• The figure was rose upwards in 2013/2014 fiscal year to 164,000.

• In 2014/2015 the number of beneficiaries is slightly above 300,000

How this happensDuring the 2015/2016 financial year, the Government allocated Ksh7.4 billion for Older Persons, compared to Sh5.9 billion allocated in the previous year. The trend is an increasing budgetary allocations since 2011.

INTRODUCTIONS cont…Outputs

Since 2011 when this programme was launched, only 6% of the older population who deserve support have been reached.

The only thing that has remained constant over the years is the amount of money that beneficiaries receive, ie. Ksh 2000.

(Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services)

This confirms the Minnesota study which also disclosed that more than half of the 85-year olds are forced to work and fend for themselves in order to survive.In other words, poverty at an old age is still not being dealt with.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Although the government has shown its commitment to lessening vulnerability among needy older persons in Kenya, the Ksh.2,000 given to beneficiaries every other year is not informed by inflationary trends. Maintaining the figure negates the government’s good intentions.

To advocate that the national and county authorities increase the number of beneficiaries and the budget allocated for the cash transfer programs commensurate to current standards of living.

OVERALL AIM OF THE STRATEGY

OBJECTIVES

1. To ensure the 2.5 million needy older persons in Kenya are registered as beneficiaries by December 2018.

2. To advocate for an increment in the budget allocation for the cash transfer program, commensurate to the current standards of living.

TARGETS / POWER ANALYSIS• The government of Kenya namely;

National Treasury, Cabinet Secretary – Mr. Henry Rotich*; Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services, Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Phyllis Kandie ***

• Governors & Legislatures from all the 47 counties ***• All the 2.5 million unregistered old persons in Kenya **• Kenyan Human Right Commissions (KHRC),Chief Executive

Officer , Mr. George Kegoro **• Kenya Adult Learners Association Director – Mrs. Magdalene

Gathoni Motsi **• HelpAge International, Regional Dir - Mr. Prafulla Mishra and

Kenya Director MR Jeffery Maganya **

ALLIES • Elder Care Network Organization – Civil Society Organization • Media• Action 2015- A coalition of civil society Organizations • National Gender and Equality Commission - Commission • United National Population Fund (UNFPA) – International

Organization • Development Work in Education, Livelihood and Environment

(DWELE) – Civil society Organization • Nyumba ya Wazee• Academia – Philomena Makena Mathiu and Elosy Kangai

Mathiu

CORE MESSAGESKey message 1: The youth bulge of today is the age bulge of

tomorrow; decisions made today determine our lives in old age. 

Supporting text: Old age is a phase in our life. Key message 2: It is time to fully implement policies to support

a dignified and secure old age.Supporting Statements : At some point of our lives, we shall

hopefully all get old.Key Message 3: Millions are missing from the data, there is

need for counties to know the number of older persons within their counties to inform

decisions for service improvement Supporting statements :Many vulnerable people are left out of

interventions since they are not known

CORE MESSAGE cont..Message to convey to decision makers in private Key message 4: Inequality: a) Gender discrimination -effect on the women• This message will used to lobby Kenya Women

Parliamentarians Association (KEWOPA) to support full implementation of the policy and registration of all old women in Kenya as beneficiaries of the cash transfer program.

b) Inequality based on health, education and agriculture across the counties also affects older persons differently.

• The status of the elderly in society is also an indicator of the economic and social development of the country (Global AgeWatch Index 2015)

APPROACHES AND ACTION PLAN(Tools for our advocacy)

1. Face to face MeetingsWith key leaders in both County and central Government

2. Conferences to create awarenessPlan for a conference on the 1st of October which is an International Day of Older persons

3. Training and EducationTraining of our Champions whom we shall use to

advocate for the elderly. 4. Street marches

We shall use older persons to hold street matches to raise public awareness on their issues

5. Outreaches through County workshops and seminarsHold workshops & seminars in all counties to educate and

highlight issues affecting the elderly in the society.

 

APPROACHES AND ACTION PLAN Tools for our advocacy cont..

6. MediaEngage media through training and capacity building so as to raise awareness on issues of older persons

7. LobbyingWe shall lobby legislators and MCAs to push for more

allocation of the budget

8. PublicityThe communication office will produce material such as Posters, Tshirts and giveaways and flyers or brochures. They will also create social media platform outreach pages such as Facebook, Twitter and keep them alive by using hashtags.

HUMAN & FINANCIAL RESOURCES(Administration)

 HR: The advocacy work will be led by an Advocacy, Campaigns and Policy

DirectorWho will work hand in hand with a Project manager, programme officer, communication and ICT officers not to mention non-technical staff

BudgetThe strategy would cost Ksh 94 Million shillings

for 3 years

RISKS AND THEIR MITIGATION

• Political –HfE promise to be very non-political• Economic-avoid overreliance on a single donor. Intend

to have as wide pool of donors as possible• Social-seek to play it safe with like minded

organizations so as not to be viewed as competitors• Technological- HfE shall apply new innovations as they

arise• Environmental-seek moral approval of the older

persons for the right to speak for, with and about them• Legal-shall strive to work within the country’s law.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION , PLANNING AND LEARNING

Monitoring will be a continuous process which will begin at the onset of the program.

There shall be a mid-term and end-term evaluations (2)

Summary Indicator Means of verification Assumptions/risks

Goal To have 2.5 million needy older persons on cash transfer by 2018

Percentage of people that are getting the cash transfer money

Money transaction data showing access of money by needy older persons

We have old needy people There is a budget allocation

Outcome Improved lives of the 2.5 million Kenyans above 65 years of age

Better living standards and health care

Food, clothing and housing

Improved lives leading to better housing, health care,

Output Regular cash is given out to the 2.5 M

Evidence of receipt of the money

Receipt, bank slips, M-Pesa message

Regular disbursement of the money

Activities Registration of needy older persons

Names of all the registered needy people

Number of people registered List of the agents identified to undertake the task

People are registered Agents are fully trained Older people were trained on wise use of money

Input FundsHuman resources

Budgetary allocationsHired staff

Cash transfersPeople working

Money and staff in place

GOVERNANCEThe strategy will be under policy direction of an

Executive Board of Governors who include1. Henry Herman Neondo (14-2820)2. Zipporah Kioko ( 14-2606)3. Lucy Kawira (14-1184)4. Beatrice Kibe (15-0519)5. Roza Amsalu ( 14-2026)

“What mothers need, as well as fathers, spouses, and the children of aging parents, is an entire national infrastructure of care, every bit as important as the

physical infrastructure of roads, bridges, tunnels, broadband, parks and public works.”

Anne-Marie Slaughter