ACSA IAHSA

GLOBAL COMMUNITIES COMING TOGETHER

2015 JOINT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

PERTH CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE ,

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

31 August – 4 September 2015

COMMUNITY BASED CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLEIn

CAMEROON

By

Francis NJUAKOM NCHIIDirector,

CDVTA Cameroon

www.cdvta.org

FACTS ON CAMEROON

Map of Africa

Map of Cameroon

World Map

•Cameroon is located in West Central Africa

•It is a lower middle income country

•It has 10 Regions (8 French speaking & 2 English speaking)

•It has a population of 22.25 million, World Bank (2013)

•It has an elderly population of 1million people (Ministry of Social Affairs)

•90% of them live in poor rural areas on less than 1 dollar a day.

•Agricultural products are coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains,

• cassava (manioc, tapioca); livestock; timber

•Industrial products are petroleum production and refining, aluminum production &

food processing

•Population in the North West Region: 1,870,148 inhabitants

•Elderly population in the North West Region: 131, 523 (7%)

•Elderly women in the Region: 74,539 (56.68%)

•Elderly men in the Region: 56, 984 (43,32%)

•90% of this population work in the informal sector

•10% retired from the formal sector

•Elderly directly assisted by CDVTA (2009-2014): over 13,060

•75% beneficiaries women and 25% men.

•Active involvement of elderly in community-based care - (9,119 level

1 and 3,941 level 2)

THE POPULATION OF THE ENGLISH NORTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

PROBLEMS FACED BY THE ELDERLY IN CAMEROON

•Elderly trapped in the inner core of poverty

•Lack of national policy on elderly rights

•Inequalities limiting access to livelihoods

• Government neglect

•Elderly issues often not considered as priority

•Social exclusion & societal neglect

•Poor welfare (nutrition, health, hygiene)

• Strenuous physical labour increases elderly vulnerability to shocks

• Very few donors interested in elderly projects in Africa

• Few local organisations supporting elderly due to lack of funding

• Elderly often accused of witchcraft and isolated

THE EFFECTS OF THESE PROBLEMS ON THE ELDERLY

•Loss of income

•Loss of independence

•Loss of physical fitness

•Increased dependence on others for basic needs

•Loneliness & isolation

•Loss of status in society

•Loss of companionship

•Loss of a meaningful lifestyle

•Frustration

•Loss of respect and dignity

IMPROVING ELDERY LIVES THROUGH COMMUNITY BASED CARE

“The Case of CDVTA Cameroon”

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT VOLUNTEERS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

CDVTA is a highly active network of over 350 older people’s associations in Cameroon

Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance (CDVTA) is Cameroon’sleading organisation in the care and support of older people, promoting advocacy,rights, elderly friendly communities, social inclusion, welfare and elderly improvedlivelihoods. CDVTA has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and SocialCouncil (ECOSOC) of the United Nations since July 2010. CDVTA has a 17 yearsuccessful evidence-based elderly-driven, integrated rights based approach inrealising elderly rights and improving their livelihoods through community-basedcare initiatives. CDVTA is a full member of the International Federation on Ageing(IFA) in Toronto.

CDVTA AREAS FOR COMMUNITY BASED CARE OF THE ELDERLY

1- SOCIAL INCLUSION:

•Elderly friendly communities encouraged (52)

•Elderly made to feel more included (over 13,060)

•Elderly clubs formed to combat loneliness (181)

•Elderly actively involved in club membership

(9,119 level 1 and 3,941 level 2)

•Selection of local volunteers for assistance (249)

•Regular home-visits to frail elderly by volunteers,

intergenerational learning with school children (52

schools and 4,403 children have connected with

elderly clubs)

•Elderly integration with families and communities.

•Awareness raising on HIV/AIDS, resilience and

gender

2- LIVELIHOODS:Elderly improve their well-being & socio economic status through:

•Organic farming

•Livestock rearing,

•Beekeeping,

•Wash powder and soap making

•Medicinal plant cultivation

•Ointment and body lotion production

•Micro loans

•Petty trade and handicrafts

•Elderly increase on their yields and income.

Results obtained from DFID funded 5 year project:

Year Anticipated income to beachieved (%)

Actual incomeachieved (%)

2012 15% 18.7%

2013 25% 36.2%

2014 35% 43.3%

3- RIGHTS

•Elderly actively participated in the formulation of policies on their rights.

(Policy validated in 2012)

•Elderly supported with identification papers to register and vote in elections

and make their voices heard, hence influencing National social policy (in

2012: 800 elderly assisted with ID cards, 2013 : 1276 elderly assisted with ID

cards and 2,630 registered and voted in national elections; 2014: 1,592

elderly assisted with ID cards and 3,517 registered to vote in future

elections. )

•Elderly women and widows empowered on their rights

•Elderly participated in national and international events

•Print and audio visual media featured documentaries on elderly issues. (61

radio talks, 11 TV broadcasts and 52 newspaper articles)

•Elderly discussed issues on their rights with senior government ministers in

national capital (30 discussions by elderly with government officials)

•Elderly raised huge awareness on their rights through 4 regional conventions

•Traditional and religious authorities featured elderly rights in their public

presentations and participated in elderly events (102 of them)

4- WELFARE:Elderly living standards improved through

•Improved nutrition,

•Improved hygiene

•Improved sanitation,

•Increased resilience

•Improved respect for women and widows

• Donated warm clothing, blankets, and bush

lamps to needy elderly

5- VOLUNTEERING:CDVTA promotes local volunteers who provideassistance in

•Elderly personal hygiene,

•Household chores

•Repair of dilapidated homes

•Gardens, farming, beekeeping

•Home visits

•Basic book keeping and minutes writing

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES & NEEDS

FOR REPLICATION OF BEST PRACTICES

IN NEW COMMUNITIES

STRENGTHS

• CDVTA is committed,

consistent and visionary

• Five year strategy plan made

• Strong volunteering ability

• Good organizational policies

• Strong finance/accountability,

• Open-minded leadership

• Team work valued by staff

• Staff, objective and sacrificial

in their work

• Understanding of the terrain

• Acclaimed experience in

elderly mobilization

• Good relationship with

stakeholders

• Strong ability for larger

projects

WEAKNESSES

• Deficiency in infrastructure

• Limited operational

equipment

• Reliance on single donor

• Limited financial support/ low

salaries

• Limited in-service continued

training

• Limited presence felt

internationally

• Limited transportation

facilities like vehicles and

motorbikes for field activities

• Limited skills in international

resource mobilization

IMMEDIATE NEEDS

• More funding partners

• An experienced international

resource mobilizer volunteer

• Collaboration with more like

minded organizations for

shared learning and

exchanges

• More transportation facilities

to ease monitoring of field

activities and meet deadlines

on time

• More performing office

equipment to facilitate work

on projects

CONCLUSION

These community based care activities for the elderly in Cameroon,

provide an example for other stakeholders to see, that elderly social

mobilization and care at the community level, is possible and can reduce

elderly vulnerability and improve livelihoods, and that they can work

together to exercise their rights.

On the other hand, advocacy to the authorities is the mechanism by which

these gains can be replicated in other places where the elderly face

similar problems.

This activity has good scope for expansion, adaptation, and replication

and is committed to a method of working that produces not only practical

physical results but equally improves on older people’s quality of life and

rights.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION

Contact:C/o Francis Njuakom Nchii,DirectorCDVTA CameroonP.O. Box 5091, Bamenda, NWR, Cameroon, West AfricaWebsite: www.cdvta.org Landline: +237 233 36 16 76Moble: +237 699879609 Email: cdvtaprojects@yahoo.com