The Challenges and Problems Facing The Elderly in Contemporary Kenya
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Date
2001-03-31
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
Old age is inescapable if one's life is long. In the African setting as you mature in
years, you become a reservoir of wisdom. Your next of kin will come to you for advice. In fact
they would like to hear from you what you might say on many things pertaining to the family
lineage, clan or the village as a whole. This comes to be realised of course if your life is
exemplary. It is therefore not an accident for African people to have a proverb that says, 'Old
is gold.' This sounds appealing and that is why the elderly were not despised in traditional
Africa unless one was involved in unacceptable practices such as witchcraft.
However, things have changed. To praise the elderly people today as a unifying factor
in the community and to associate them with wisdom is downgraded as sacrilege. A certain
dignified person in one of the top universities in Nairobi astonished many people, when he
claimed that wisdom of the elderly is no longer functional due to modem education.' Just to
answer him before going too far, let us think about the so-called industrialised countries. They
are rich and literacy is almost 100 percent. But when you turn on the other side of the coin, you
see that promotion of wars in other countries, breakdown of family cohesiveness and the lust
to accumulate is the order of the day in their backyard. Now, is this wisdom? The wisdom we
talk about is that which comes from the inside of a person for the common good of all. It is
inherent. It permeates all spheres of life to bring about justice and peace. This is the wisdom
that we derive from our elderly friends.
Affluence is becoming the most honoured and adored commodity in the world. Definitely, Africa is not spared because this new culture is catching up very fast. The social
and economic trends are not elderly friendly. Physical changes such as wrinkles on the face
due to aging are not admired either. Therefore, there is a need to adequately put in place checks
and balances to respond to these circumstances competently. Chapter one highlights the
problem at hand. Chapter two is literature review. Chapter three explains the methodology
used in carrying out the research. Chapter four is about data analysis that attempts to articulate
the current situation on the ground. Chapter five contains the discussions and
recommendations. Finally, chapter six presents a project proposal that may be useful to
counteract this sprouting phenomenon.
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Keywords
Elderly, Problems, Poverty, Retirement