Inocencio, 74, and Corina, 64, Colombia

Inocencio and his wife Corina of 51 years have lived through all of Colombia's relentless civil conflict - some 50 years of uncertainty and violence.

Inocencio and Corina with three of their grandchildren (c) Antonio Olmos/HelpAge International

They were displaced from a department in the south of Colombia due to fighting between illegal armed groups.

They had to abandon their 40 hectares of land and subsistence farming lifestyle, which gave them everything they needed.

Inocencio says: "Before the displacement, we had our own farms and houses and we used to live peacefully - we produced cassava, oranges and bananas. We would sell to people in the community and local markets. And then all of a sudden we had to leave all our property to come somewhere where we don't have anything."

Providing solidarity

But HelpAge's exceptional partners in Cali, Colombia, are providing much needed solidarity to those who have suffered great loss like Inocencio.

Fundación Paz y Bien (the peace and wellbeing foundation) has a range of psycho-social therapy activities for older people, especially those who have been displaced, as well as offering free legal advice.

It has a gerontologist, a psychologist, family counsellors, a child psychologist, a doctor, lawyers and para-legal staff that help people get access to their identity documents, to the government assistance they are entitled to receive as internally displaced people and also train them to understand the law.

It facilitates the process by which those who have been forcibly displaced can receive immediate humanitarian aid from the Colombian government, including a one-off payment to help with paying rent.

We are treated like a mother treats her children

To help people overcome the severe depression and lack of self esteem that descends when they have been uprooted from everything they've known and loved or seen family members killed; the Fundación also arranges social and cultural activities.

Corina says: "They treat us like a mother treats her children. They are very loving and kind to us."

Corina takes part each week in a music group set up to keep Afro-Colombian coastal traditions alive and help those who are from the same area of Colombia share something of what they used to know from their old life.

Corina says: "I feel good when I participate. I feel a bit calmer and at peace with myself. I'd feel lonely and bored without it because I don't have many friends. So this music activity is not only for singing, it's for talking to other people."

Speaking about what she wants for the future, she says: "I have a lot of faith in the people around me. I believe strongly that someday I'll lead a normal life again."

The Fundación Paz y Bien has helped 380 older displaced people in this way over the last two years, as well as some 3,000 displaced people with legal advice.

If you would like to stand in solidarity with people like Inocencio and Corina, you can commit long-term to helping to older people, you can also join the Sponsor a Grandparent or Raise a Grandchild scheme run by our Affiliate Age International.

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• Aachal Gounder (31st March 2013)

  I'm glad that Corina and Inocencio have been able to overcome what they went through. All the very best to you both and I love your grand children!!