Youth group supports 500+ elderly in Rumphi District
Chikhwecha Active Youth, a youth group based in Rumphi District, Malawi, is providing social support to over 500 elderly people in the area, writes Susan Moyo.
Rumphi, Malawi-Chikhwecha Active Youth, a youth group based in Rumphi District, Malawi, is providing social support to over 500 elderly people in the area, writes Susan Moyo.
The program, which started in December last year, supports the elderly, including those with disabilities, in several villages around Traditional Authority Mwankhunira in Rumphi district.
The support includes basic amenities such as soap, salt, and soya pieces.
A report by HelpAge International and Malawi Network for Older Persons Organization (MANEPO) reveals that most elderly persons have poor food consumption, lack dietary diversity, and resort to mechanisms such as restricting the number of meals, consuming less expensive food, and reducing meal portions to cope with worsening food security.
According to Layson Mkandawire, the executive director for Chikhwecha Active Youth, the initiative aims to reduce malnutrition and improve the livelihoods of the elderly in the area.
He said that the organization conducted a small study in the area, which revealed that many elderly people face various challenges ranging from a lack of social support to abuse perpetrated by their caregivers.
“We all have a right to a good life no matter our age, so we want elderly people to live their lives to the fullest, by providing their basic necessities every two months. This is an ongoing initiative,” he disclosed.
Jennifer Zgambo, an elderly woman from Kamphanana village in Traditional Authority Mwankhunikira, expressed gratitude for the initiative.
Juliana Mkandawire, 60, from Bwagadu village in the district, echoed Zgambo’s sentiments, saying the initiative has helped to improve her life.
Abraham Simkoko, 67, who is visually impaired and from Mukabayila village in the district, described the initiative as a welcome development that has bailed out many elderly people from extreme poverty.
“The support they receive is helping to improve their livelihoods,” he said.
The initiative has also excited Group Village Headman Gota, who said, “We are very thankful to Chikhwecha Youth Organization for the initiative because the elderly in the area can now afford a smile for the support rendered to them.’’
Meanwhile, the executive director of the Malawi Network of Older Persons Organizations-MANEPO, Andrew Kavala, has commended the initiative, saying it is helping to bring back the lost dignity because most of them live in poverty, which also fuels abuse against them.
Recently, MANEPO released a report that revealed that between January and February this year, five elderly persons were killed by a mob, while in 2022, 15 were killed, and 88 were harassed for various reasons, largely on the accusation of witchcraft.
The initiative by Chikhwecha Active Youth provides a much-needed lifeline for the elderly in Rumphi District, where poverty and abuse against the elderly are prevalent.