Older people’s stories
Older people are speaking out and we are listening. Our collection of life stories captures the strength and resilience behind a lifetime of experience.
Browse our story collections

How HelpAge network members are supporting older people in Lebanon
Amel Association International and Idraac are helping older people access healthcare, psychosocial support and other essential services.

Still standing: An older farmer’s account of displacement in south Lebanon
83-year-old F.A‑D describes life after fleeing Majdal Selm, the village in south Lebanon where he had spent his life.

Faces of Ukraine: four years of resilience
A gallery capturing the voices of older Ukrainians after four years of war. Explore personal stories of displacement and survival from a generation that now comprises a quarter of the nation’s population, yet remains largely overlooked.

Ageing in displacement: Olfat’s story from Gaza
Since October 2023, Olfat and her family have been displaced multiple times. Their home in the northern part of Al‑Shati refugee camp was destroyed and they now live in Zawayda IDP camp, in a tent shared by seven people.

“I don’t have hope for me – only for my children”
Displaced by conflict, Mohammad now lives with his family in one small room in Beirut.

An older couple’s fight for safety and dignity after the Myanmar Earthquake
For older people like Daw Than Than Swe, 74, and her husband U Aung Kyaing, 86, the earthquake has become a prolonged ordeal of uncertainty, stress, and loss.

“I prayed and prayed”: Daw San Lwin’s story of survival and strength after the Myanmar earthquake
Older people like 70-year-old Daw San Lwin are often unseen in humanitarian responses, yet bear the brunt of crises with limited support and declining health.

“I’m afraid to even go upstairs”: Daw Pyone’s struggle to survive after the Myanmar earthquake
For older people like 62-year-old Daw Pyone, the earthquake was a brutal blow to an already fragile existence, exposing the deep vulnerabilities that come with age, ill health, and poverty.
“If it happens again, I will die”: a story from the heart of Myanmar’s earthquake
87-year-old Daw Khin Myaing’s story of survival and strength after the Myanmar earthquake
“I’ve never experienced a loss like this”: One man’s struggle to rebuild after the Myanmar earthquake
For older people like U Tin Win, the earthquake didn’t just destroy property - it unravelled the fragile threads of dignity, stability, and family unity.
“Everything collapsed around us”: A grandfather’s story of survival and strength after the Myanmar earthquake
61-year-old U San Win’s harrowing experience captures the heartbreak and resilience of those living through the Myanmar earthquake disaster.
The lives behind the numbers: stories of older Ukrainians adapting to displacement
Three years into the full-scale war, discover the stories of older Ukrainians who are not just surviving but adapting and thriving in the face of crisis.