Everyone's in World Cup frenzy here in Haiti. Cars display their drivers' persuasion - the only options apparently being Argentina or Brazil. Every little roadside shop and caf has the sports channel on, and the streets clear and traffic...
"But are there any old people in Haiti? Isn't life expectancy something like 54?" I've been asked this question twice in the last few weeks. It's hardly a scientifically accurate sample, but I wonder if it's representative of people's...
Sunday was Father's Day in Haiti and as part of our "psycho-social" programme supporting older people's recovery, we organised two events to celebrate the day. There was some debate among staff at the care home we visited in the...
Today we've been to the Asile Communale, the municipal nursing home that hit the international headlines shortly after the earthquake. One week after the earthquake, no food, water or medical assistance had reached the home and many of the...
At the end of June 2010, HelpAge's regional centre in Latin America celebrates Don Hector Sandoval's 18 years of service. Don Hector has worked as a messenger, assistant, collaborator and is a friend to many staff, partners and older...
Today we're visiting two of the care homes we're supporting in Leogane, about 90 minutes from Port-au-Price and the town that was the epicentre of the earthquake. Sister Josette (right) was living in the sisters' quarters but since the...
When you work at HelpAge, you lose your "age-blindness" very quickly. I sat at the departure gates at JFK for the flight to Port-au-Prince, and noticed how many travellers were older Haitians. Many were travelling alone or with young...
Richard Blewitt, HelpAge's CEO has been in Haiti this week. Below are his personal observations of the difficult situation older people are facing: "Today, I am in Haiti visiting HelpAge's emergency programme. Since January's earthquake our staff have bee
Arriving in the town of Leogane, the scene is like a disaster film: Almost everything is destroyed. The buildings that remain are extremely damaged. They will have to be destroyed or will have to go through major reparations. Since...
This week we received a very heart warming video from our partner El Wedad, in Gaza. The film was made as part of HelpAge's DEC funded project, which includes psychosocial assistance for older people, carried out by El Wedad....
Louise Cripps, HelpAge's Rights Policy Intern, writes about the impact of UN conventions and whether this justifies a push for a convention on older people's rights: Today, Kenya is reporting in their first Universal Periodic Review at the United...
Older people's associations in Mozambique and HelpAge have worked together to engage the government at the highest level and make a difference to their lives. A true picture of older people's lives Eight politicians from all over Mozambique, visited...
