What's happening in 2009?

Yayasan Emong Lansia (YEL), the HelpAge partner in Jakarta, has been working hard to get the voice of older people heard by decision makers. A large number of older people have been included in the plans for informing the policy asks of the delegation. They include:

• Zaenal, 67
• Thamrin, 75
• Parman, 78

who have been farmers their whole lives but due to the lack of old age security are forced to continue working to keep up an income. They are calling for pensions from the government for farmers like them.

Sagiyah, 67, who has had a cataract operation paid for by YEL. Sagiyah is calling for free healthcare for poor older people in Indonesia.

A delegation of older people will meet with officials from the Ministry of Health and the National Planning and Development Board to discuss pensions and healthcare. The issues to be raised are:

• Increase the number of people that receive a social pension. Out of 2.5 million older people only 100,000 get assistance 
• Free health care for older persons age 80+
• Long term care facilities for older people as there are currently no nursing homes in Indonesia
• The introduction of a national policy on Home Care for older people
• A Senior Citizen Activity Center to be established in Jakarta.

The delegation will include:

• Mr Deddy, 69, Association of retired civil servants
• Dr Chandra, 60, the Head of Association  of Homes for the elderly – Jakarta
• Ibnu Abbas, 38, a Nurse at Old Peoples Home
• Mrs Puriyati, 66, Mrs Kartini Soedarno, 69, Mrs Ririen Bambang, 62, and Mrs Soewito, 69 all from community organisations.  
• Mrs Lily Soedjono, 81, from the Association of Social Workers
• Dr Damanhuri R., 69, from the National Council on People’s welfare.

In addition to these activities, YEL will begin a process of lobbying at a local level for the city environment to be made more age friendly.

As a starting point, YEL is involving a local older people’s group in a sub-district of Jakarta who are taking pictures of their environment now, advocating improvements and will then meet with local authority officials on the National Day of Older Persons on 29 May to promote any changes that have been made and highlight where more action is needed.

Areas to be addressed are ensuring older people can walk on pavements, have a place to do physical exercise, and a place to meet with each other.

Watch this space for more information over the coming months!

What happened in 2008?

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs made a commitment to:

• Set up an activity centre for older people
• Increase the number of beneficiaries of social pensions from 5,000 to 10,000 by October 2009
• Review all current programmes for older people and ensure that those programmes that have improved their lives continue.

An interview with the Secretary General and the key speaker of the delegation was broadcast on national television.