Latin America is one of the fastest ageing regions in the world. By 2050, around 30% of the population will be aged 60 or over. Older people have little income security – more than 70% of older Latin Americans receive no pension and there are few job opportunities. There is a lack of awareness of ageing issues in the region, and social and health-care services are rarely targeted at older people.

Many poor older people feel marginalised and vulnerable – excluded from their communities. They need support to overcome the social and economic difficulties they face, most of which are the result of poverty.

Aims

The aim of the HelpAge International project is to establish an active ageing network in five Latin American countries – Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Peru – with support from the European Union. The network aims to increase the impact of community strategies through the exchange of experiences and the promotion of good practice on ageing issues.

Activities

A network of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in each country works with older people, through 19 pilot community projects, to address issues relating to rights, health and income security.

Partners exchange information on their experiences of working with older people and support each other through regional networking, technical exchange programmes, and by disseminating and replicating positive experiences.

The network has produced guidelines, workshops and policy papers on best practice in work with older people in the key areas of poverty, rights and health. These documents are used for advocacy work, and educational and training activities with project partners, local and national government, and other international, national and regional institutions.

Achievements

• Partners have developed new strategies to work with older people in the three key areas of health, rights and income security. These strategies have gained national and international attention and approval from other institutions and government bodies.
• Local and national governments have become increasingly aware of ageing issues and have increased funding for programmes to benefit older people.
• Older people working with NGOs are participating more actively in political debate to ensure that ageing issues are on the agenda.
• A regional office of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Network of Older People (LACRNOP) has been set up, as a result of the increasing number of national older people’s networks.
• A rights' awareness toolkit has been piloted by older people's groups.

The future

Older people's groups are continuing to collaborate with local government to ensure that older people are included in local development plans and budgets.

The rights' awareness toolkit was evaluated and feedback from all of the older people's groups was very positive. The toolkit is now being widely disseminated to our Latin American partners. There are plans to use it for rights education, as part of other HelpAge International projects.