I took these pictures in Livingstone, Zambia while volunteering at an "Old People's Home". As in many developing nations, institutional care for the elderly is rare as the extended family is left responsible for elder support. But emerging diseases, urban migration, and social/cultural change are factors affecting the traditional family structures, and, consequently, the elder population. Though the life expectancy in Uganda is 50, there are over 1 million older persons in Uganda, meaning persons over the age of 60. According to The Aged Family Uganda, 85% of those older persons in rural areas live in absolute chronic poverty. Identified reasons for older persons living in such conditions include ill health, HIV and AIDS, poor access to services and utilities, limited income support, exclusion from development programs, lack of political representation, and isolation.
To learn more about elder rights and what you can do to support this movement, go to www.globalaging.org