The Maseru Women Senior Citizens’ Association (MWSCA) has condemned violence against the elderly and urged the government to take swift action to protect such vulnerable persons from harm. This as Lesotho prepares to join the rest of the globe to mark International Day on Older Persons on October 5.
In an interview with theReporter’s ‘Mantšali Phakoana, the association’s chairperson, Hazel Selloane Tsatsane called for greater societal awareness of gender-based violence (GBV)against the elderly. She has also called for the enactment of the Protection for Elder Persons Act.
Tell us about Maseru Women Senior Citizens’ Association and its objectives.
MWSCA is a non-profit making, non-political and non-denominational organisation established in 1997, with the aim of providing quality life to old people in the country, encouraging active ageing, improving the elderly’s access to health care, promoting awareness on their rights, combating all forms of discrimination and abuse, and capacitating both youth and the bodied people on home-based care and nutrition for HIV/AIDs infected people.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life of older people with particular emphasis on physical and mental health care, social and economic security, thus strengthening their role within families, communities and the nation as a whole. We also aim to create awareness on older people’s rights and combat all forms of discrimination and abuse.
Eligible members of this association are from 60 years, recognised as the elderly internationally, and most of them are pensionable. A member pays a subscription fee of M5 and a monthly membership fee of M20.
What programmes does the association have to address issues concerning the elderly?
Our first programme is reaching out to grandmothers and grandfathers across the country to create awareness, educate them on their rights and how to handle issues when they are faced with difficulties. Due to lack of funds, we also engage in fund raising events. We collect clothes donations and sell them to raise funds in order to make our campaigns successful.
We are currently at a stage where we engage with all people from all ages, to educate and sensitize them on dementia, one of the most common sicknesses that has become a burden to the elderly. We want everyone to understand about this sickness and stop judging elders with this disease.
It’s disheartening when people use hurtful names like ‘witches’ to describe elders who may be suffering from dementia. We want people to understand that old age can cause unusual behaviour and that doesn’t make someone a witch. That’s why we visit schools to sensitise children on how to treat their grannies with respect and kindness.
Forming a strong network of senior citizens associations across Lesotho is vital. We have realised that elderly people face numerous challenges from financial instability to physical and emotional issues. That’s why we visit and engage with senior citizens in their own communities. We want them to understand the importance of creating a platform for unity and shared understanding. Many elders aren’t even aware of their rights, or what to do when facing hardships.
What challenges are you facing as an organisation?
Lack of funds has been a significant obstacle for us. We would love to have a dedicated home for elderly people in our community, but we are currently operating from government property. This has made it difficult for those in the private sector who are willing to assist, as they need us to have our own site first.
Growing our initiatives has also proven challenging, as many people are more focused on gaining personal benefits rather than contributing to the growth and development of the association.
One of the major issues we face is that some people join our association with the expectation that they will receive financial benefits. They do not understand that we are volunteers who are here to help vulnerable elderly people, not to receive help ourselves. The donations and funds we receive are for the benefit of elderly, not for us. The absence of a Protection Act for elderly person in Lesotho is another challenge that our senior citizens are facing.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the well-being of old people?
The pandemic had a devastating effect on our organisation. Some of our members passed away. Since the pandemic, we have not been able to carry out most of our projects, as a result we cannot afford to pay our staff. Currently our driver and secretary have become volunteers as we do not have funds to pay them anymore. Most of the private businesses that supported us in the past have also closed down, due to the effects of COVID-19.
How can government and the private sector come together to support your initiatives?
The government through the ministry of social development has been supporting our campaigns by providing transportation to various locations. However, we are still in need of a home for elderly persons, which would open up new opportunities for us.
We are making a strong plea to the private sector to assist us with the establishment of a home for elderly women. We believe that this will open up many opportunities for our association. Currently, we are required to visit our offices on certain days in order to minimise on transport and other costs.
Lesotho’s elderly population faces unique challenges including limited access to healthcare and social services. How can the government and private associations work together to improve this?
Decentralisation of services is the solution to many of the challenges facing our elderly population. Communities and urban councils should be providing services that our closer to where our elderly citizens reside. They should not have to travel long distances to access healthcare or acquire identity documents. Providing such crucial services at the local level would save our elderly persons time, energy and other costs.
What can you say about the increasing GBV cases against the elderly?
The increasing number of GBV cases against elder persons is a cause for serious concern. We urge the justice system to take these offences seriously and impose heavier penalties on perpetrators. This would act as a deterrent to other potential offenders and send a strong message that violence against the elderly is not tolerated in our society.
Police officers often lack the necessary skills to conduct thorough and sensitive investigations in cases of GBV against elderly people, leading to insufficient evidence and cases being thrown out in court. This is particularly true in cases of sexual offences, where the police should treat victims with the same level of care and consideration as they would to a child victim.
Moreover, we believe that elderly persons’ cases should be heard in specials courts, just like cases relating to children.
