What happened in 2008?

Building on last year's success, HelpAge Ethiopia with the Ethiopian Elderly and Pensioners National Association (EEPNA) organised a series of meetings to target relevant ministers and the President.

Asks included a commitment from the government to:

• Include older people in poverty reduction processes such as the development of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP).
  
• Include older people in other programmes to alleviate poverty and improve access to basic services.
• Implement a universal non-contributory pension.

The meetings in Ethiopia were particularly successful with concrete promises for change being made in several areas.

Water

Ato Sentyehu Asfaw, Minister for Water Resources, welcomed the delegation who met with him last year. He told them that progress has been made since then.

The ministry is close to completing a proposal for government to make water freely available to poor older people in urban areas. The delegation will meet with the minister again once the proposal is complete.

Health

The delegation presented their recommendation that health services should be specifically appropriate for older people to Dr Kabede, State Minister for Health.

They highlighted significant barriers that prevent older people from accessing free services. Currently poor older people are entitled to free healthcare, but only if they have a certified letter from the local authority to validate their claim.

Dr Kabade agreed that this process made accessing good care difficult for many older people. He announced that his ministry would remove the need for local authorities to certify poverty in order for older people to access free health services.

Older carers

At a meeting with the State Minister for Women's Affairs, the delegation discussed issues faced by older carers. The Minister talked at length about poverty and access to services for women, and expressed an interest in working closely with older people to address the needs of older women.

A joint meeting between HelpAge International staff, the delegation and the minister took place one week following this meeting.

Highlights from 2007

• A meeting was held with the President on 6 October.
• Following the meeting, the Minister for Water agreed to include older people in programmes to supply water to vulnerable people in rural and urban areas.

The delegation

Ato Birhanu Abera, 66, formed a federation of iddirs (burial societies) to address the pressing problems of older people in Ethiopia. The federation has now become part of local NGO, Tesfa Social and Development Association (TSDA). Mr Abera is Executive Director and founder of  the Association.

Abera Moltot, 62, General Manager of the Haile Selassie Memorial Foundation, has been involved in education and school administration for many years. He has worked for the Ministries of Education, Community Development and State Farms Development.

Sasu (Nina) Tesfamariam, 59, was educated in the United States but moved to Ethiopia in 2005 and established AGAR Elder Support Services.

In the Addis Ababa area, AGAR providesfinancial and other support services, including clothing, proper shelter and healthcare to many vulnerable older people. The organisation believes that older Ethiopians should be self-sufficient. It runs several microfinance and skills-learning programmes.

Yizeshiwal Eshete, 58, was active in the establishment of EEPNA, supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and HelpAge International in Ethiopia. She now serves on its board.

Ato Tilahun Abebe, 71, Vice President of the Ethiopian Elders and Pensioners Association (EEPNA), serves on the board of a number of community and charitable organisations. He has also worked extensively on public health issues, including managing the Ministry of Health's Malaria Control Programme.