October 04, 2017

The pain of growing old and the loud silence of the youth

editor:	Bob Koigi

By the year 2030, the number of people aged 60 and above will exceed that of young people aged 15 to 24, as the number of the older generation is set to grow by 56% from 901 million in 2015 to over 1.4 billion in 2030, the UN posits. In 2050, one in every five people will be over 60 years old. Yet as the world marked the International Day of Older Persons on October 1st, numerous reports continue to emerge on how the world has neglected its senior citizens. From access to medical care, abuse, discrimination and neglect, the aged now more than ever know the pain of growing old. At the same time, this should be the moment they enjoy the gains of lifetime investments, even if that means just getting older in a world where living has become a luxury. That is why this year’s theme 'Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society,' couldn’t be more apt. While there are noble calls to action like climate change which is a legacy for future generations, today's youth will never escape from old age and must therefore uphold the dignity, human rights and fight discrimination of the old, precisely because that's where they themselves are headed.

At their frail and vulnerable stage, the elderly have had to contend with some of the most atrocious violations. In some communities older persons are associated with witchcraft and sorcery and are burned alive while in other instances, they have been forced to be breadwinners to grandchildren and their unemployed children. In fact one report on the status of older people in Africa revealed that a third of the elderly use their retirement benefits to take care of family needs including the support of young members with no jobs. Another survey of 11 high income countries noted that 41% of adults aged 65 years and above complained about a lack of coordinated medical care despite being susceptible to a cocktail of medical conditions.

The world indeed has a lot to learn from the elderly. They are the glue that binds any society with their wisdom and resilience

To move into an inclusive future that factors in the need of every citizen of the world does not only work for the benefit its ageing generation but is crucial in driving sustainable development processes. In the words of South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela, “a society that does not value its older people denies its roots and endangers its future.”