FOCESE, MANEPO fight for older people’s rights
By Joseph Kayira
Fanny Lajabu of Ojesi Village, T/A Nsamala in Balaka district is in her early 80s. A beneficiary of a social cash transfer programme – Mtukula Pakhomo – which rolled out in her area a few years ago, Lajabu has been a victim of abuse. Her own son has been a thorn on her side. Taking advantage of her advanced age, the son snatched her phone which she uses to receive cash, making it difficult for her to have access to the social cash transfer funds.
But through Malawi Network of Older Persons Organisations (MANEPO) and Foundation for Civic Education and Social Empowerment (FOCESE), Lajabu can now afford a smile. MANEPO and FOCESE in collaboration with Older People Associations (OPA), intervened in Lajabu’s case.
Free at last: Lajabu (left) and her daughter Sumani (Photo Credit: MML)
Lajabu’s daughter, Esnati Sumani, 46 says she is grateful to MANEPO, FOCESE and OPA for cracking a whip on her brother – an action that has helped her mother to have access to funds which are helping the family to buy basic needs.
“It’s true that my brother took away my mother’s phone. He took advantage of her advanced age to get her phone denying her access to funds. When people from MANEPO and their partners held about this they intervened. They have a programme that rescues the old from the bondage of abuse.
“Since my mother did not have access to her phone, it was my brother who had access to the money. She faced hunger; and with her ill health, my mother was in danger. But all that is history. She now lives with me and I am able to assist in every possible way that she should have access to her money, food and other needs,” Sumani says.
Charles: My son gave me hell (Photo Credit: MML)
Older people in Malawi face many problems. They are accused of witchcraft. They are abused in so many ways. take the case of Christina Chiwoko, 56, who was nearly buried alive by some irate community members of Mwanza Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chiwere in Dowa on witchcraft accusations.
In Mzimba in 2022, two elderly women were beaten and abused by a crowd that accused one of them of killing a young woman in South Africa through witchcraft. They were forced to fill up a grave. As they filled the grave – and in a flash of light – someone pushed one of the women, Christian Mphande, 77, into the open grave. In the process she lost some teeth. She is still tormented. While authorities have condemned such barbaric attacks on the elderly, there is still a lot to do to deal with this lawlessness.
MANEPO announced last year that 25 elders were killed in 2023 on witchcraft accusations, while 56 were harassed in various ways.
MANEPO executive director Andrew Kavala told The Nation newspaper that there is a need to join hands in the fight for the rights of the elderly who are mostly accused by their own close relatives.
Jumbe: We are sensitising communities to respect the elderly (Photo Credit: MML)
“Most of these cases are perpetrated by close family members, something that is very difficult to control because it happens within a family setup. We need a multi-sectoral approach which will take family members aboard to end this,” he told the daily paper.
Things changing in Balaka
Through a project called Accountability & Fulfillment for Older People in Order to Raise their Dignity (AFFORD) has transformed lives in Balaka. FOCESE and MANEPO have stepped up efforts to protect the rights of the elderly. Working hand in hand with OPA, the two oragnisations have helped to change the life of Lydia Charles, 82, of Namputu Village, T/A Nsamala in Balaka district.
Jastini: Grateful to MANEPO and FOCESE for the project (Photo Credit: MML)
Over the years Charles has suffered abuses directed at her by her own son. The young man, whose name we will not reveal, gave his name all sorts of bad names. Each time he came home from a drinking spree, he would come home and shout at his mother, as if she was a second-class citizen or a slave.
“I thank God that he is a changed person after people who fight for rights of the older people talked to him. My son would shout at me as if I am a dog. I could not understand that my own son would treat me like that,” Charles says.
The repentant son says: “I used to drink a lot and would indeed abuse my mother. But all that is gone. It was a result of ignorance. I am a changed person now after FOCESE, MANEPO and OPA people talked to me.”
Thunga: Malawi needs a law that protects older persons from abuse and harassment (Photo Credit: MML)
Another aspect worth mentioning is how FOCESE, MANEPO and OPA have drummed up support for older people to be prioritized when accessing treatment at health facilities in the districts. Already, the project is producing results at health facilities such as Dziwe, Kwitanda and Mpirisi.
Chifundo Macheya, medical assistant at Dziwe says the project has helped older people to access help without delays and the community understands why prioritizing senior citizens in the community is necessary.
“Some of the older people have chronic illnesses and to keep them waiting on the queue is not fair. The beauty of it all is that communities that surround this health facility have clearly understood the importance of respecting older people anywhere including here at the clinic,” Macheya says.
Dr Chikumbutso Malinga, facility coordinator at Kwitanda Health Centre says through health talks patients are told on the importance prioritizing older people. He says the facility works with OPA to sensitize people on why older people should be treated with dignity and care.
Dr Malinga: Treat older people with dignity and respect (Photo Credit: MML)
“Sensitization has worked for us and everything is going on well. Before giving them our services, we talk to the people why we should treat older people with the respect and dignity they very much deserve,” Malinga says.
A patient at Kwitanda, Manesi Jastini says he is grateful to the project for considering the older people. “We feel loved and respected. In the past before the project came in, we were not regarded as people who matter in society.”
OPA’s Sebastian Jumbe says after some research it was established that older people needed to be prioritized when accessing services at health facilities.
“We got a good gesture from the community and service providers. Through the FOCESE and MANEPO project we are able to speak out and suggest what we feel can help to improve services for older people.
Macheya: Communities are appreciating the importance of protecting older people (Photo Credit: MML)
“We have managed to interact with communities on why older people should be treated with care. We have had cases where older people have been abused but I am happy to report that all that is becoming history. Across the board I would say older people are now treated with dignity. It is what we want; it’s what they deserve,” Jumbe says.
Goodwell Thunga, MANEPO’s programme manager says there are so many things that older people need to live happy lives including access to health care services that are age-friendly and protection from all sorts of abuses, among others.
“We have also engaged government on Older People Protection Bill. He hope Parliament will see the importance of the bill and deliberate on it as soon as possible. We are also into national level advocacy and some of the areas we have touched on is to engage government to look into the criteria of choosing beneficiaries of social cash transfer. We feel people who are more deserving are left out.
Patients receiving a health talk before accessing services (Photo Credit: MML)
“We are aware of the new programme which is largely categorical targeting in nature and is being targeted in Thyolo district. We hope it will also be implemented in other districts, including Balaka. It is important to target people who are eligible and enroll them into the social cash transfer programme. Older people should not be left behind in all this,” Thunga says.
He says the absence of a bill that protects older persons is fueling abuse, harassment and discrimination of the elderly.
Government pledged to facilitate the enactment of a National Older Persons Bill that is expected to deal with perpetrators of violence against the elderly once passed in Parliament. Delays to table the Bill in Parliament has become a concern to defenders of rights of older persons who are attacked mercilessly after accusations of witchcraft.
