What is HelpAge International?

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), with a more than 70 affiliate organisations in 50 countries. Together, this network links with hundreds more organisations across the globe, working to improve the lives of older people. Read more in About us

When was HelpAge International founded?

The HelpAge International network was established in 1983 by five agencies in Canada, Colombia, India, Kenya and the UK. HelpAge International is governed by a board of trustees, which includes representatives of affiliate organisations. Read more in About us

Are HelpAge International and Help the Aged the same organisation?

No, HelpAge International and Help the Aged are two separate organisations each with their own board of trustees. Help the Aged provides core funding to HelpAge International and is also a leading member of HelpAge International’s global network of not-for-profit organisations.

Who runs Sponsor A Grandparent – HelpAge International or Help the Aged?

Both organisations. Sponsor a Grandparent was formerly know as Adopt-A-Granny. Help the Aged raise funds for the scheme in the UK via the public. HelpAge International works with partner organisations to implement the programmes overseas. Sponsor A Grandparent provides services to more than 25,000 of the poorest older people through 350 local organisations in 30 countries. The funds raised help to pay for community development programmes, day centres, home-visiting programmes, income-generating activities, pension schemes and residential care. For Sponsorship forms visit Help the Aged's website

Does HelpAge International work with the UK Government?

Yes. HelpAge International has a Programme Partnership Agreement (PPA) with the Department for International Development (DFID). The agreement runs until 2010, with funding agreed until 2008 and contributes to HelpAge International’s work throughout the organisation, without being restricted to specific projects.

We work closely with DFID offices in Bolivia, Ethiopia and Tanzania, and with the policy division in the UK, which provides funding for HelpAge International’s older citizen’s monitoring project.

HelpAge International's partnership with DFID is not simply one of funding. We share many strategic development goals, such as a commitment to poverty reduction and human rights, the capacity building of local institutions, the empowerment of women, and our partnership approach to development. Read more in How we are funded

Where do we work?

HelpAge International has offices in London, Brussels and the USA, five regional centres in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe/Central Asia, seven national programmes and a number of emergencies programmes. Read more in Worldwide

What type of work do we do?

Our work focuses on four main areas: social protection and livelihoods, HIV/AIDS, rights and emergencies. Read more in Who we are

How does HelpAge International tackle older people’s poverty?

• providing health and social services, and advocating for improved access to services
• supporting income-generating activities and advocating for older people to be included in credit schemes
• pressing for social-protection measures, including social pensions, particularly for older people in their role as carers
• helping to strengthen older people’s groups and organisations concerned with ageing
• helping to develop networks to strengthen advocacy
• facilitating exchanges of expertise through meetings, training workshops, exchange visits and publications
• putting community organisations in touch with academic institutions and governments to support advocacy
• distributing materials to share learning and raise awareness of ageing issues. Read more in Research and policy

Does HelpAge International promote older people's basic human rights?

Older people are entitled to benefit from international commitments to end poverty and to the full realisation of their rights. But millions of older people across the world live in fear and isolation, facing chronic poverty, untreated illness, violence and abuse, and limited access to education and the law.

We promote older people's rights, primarily through lobbying for implementation of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. We aim to bring the reality of the lives and experiences of older people to the centre of development practice in order to challenge age discrimination, ensure older people receive their fair share of development resources and create a society for all ages. Read more in Research and policy

Are the Millennium Development Goals targeted at older people?

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) commit the world to halving extreme poverty by 2015. The prime candidates for this assistance should be the very poorest, including older people, people from minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities and the very young. While the MDGs have specific targets on children and youth, they are silent on issues of age, ethnicity and disability. As a result, these "invisible" groups are unlikely to benefit from the global efforts to halve extreme poverty.

What does "social protection" mean?

"Social protection" encompasses a range of formal and informal mechanisms to provide basic support to poor or disadvantaged members of society.

HelpAge International calls for the state – which is responsible for the welfare of all its citizens, especially those who are poor and vulnerable – to provide a package of social protection measures, including basic health care, education and income. In particular, we are exploring ways of delivering cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households, including social pensions for older people. Read more in Research and policy

How does HIV/AIDS affect older people?

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had devastating and under-reported economic, social, physical and psychological effects on older women and men, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Older people are carers of those with HIV/AIDS and/or orphaned children, and are themselves at risk of infection.

• About 13 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa. As many as nine out of ten orphans are cared for by their extended family, mainly the grandparents.
• Older people are largely invisible in international data on HIV/AIDS. Statistics on infection rates do not include the over-50 age group, despite the fact that many older men and women continue to engage in sexual activity. Read more in Research and policy