Elderly Life in Ethiopia

A group of elderly beneficiaries

A lack of pensions in Ethiopia means that life can be especially difficult for the elderly.  It is not uncommon for elderly people to have no living family to care for them. Many are left destitute, trying to scrape together enough to survive from one day to the next.

Let's Help Each Other

Eneredada, meaning 'Let's help each other' in English, is a day centre for elderly people run currently by Imran, a young and enthusiastic business graduate along with several dedicated volunteers that have numerous ideas on how to improve the living conditions for the centre's participants.

Eneredada addresses basic needs by providing food, clothing, medicine and house repairs to those who require them. However, it does not stop there. The dedicated volunteers also aim to inspire feelings of confidence, belonging and self-worth amongst their members, many of whom have come to perceive themselves as a burden.

A group of elderly beneficiaries

This is achieved by encouraging the centre's members to participate in various activities. Many of the elderly who visit the centre have skilled knowledge of traditional crafts, such as spice preparation, sewing and weaving. They are able to share this knowledge with each other and also with the young volunteers who help out at the centre, thereby ensuring these arts are passed down to future generations. Some of the produce (i.e. scarves, carpets and sheets) is sold to generate income. In doing so, these individuals take can pride in making a positive contribution and earning themselves dignity and respect.

More recently, Eneredada has developed a relationship with the British Embassy and British Council who give them their bottles and paper to recycle and second hand furniture to use in repaired houses or for resale to generate more income.

The centre itself contains a beautiful courtyard in which the elders sit, work, sing and eat together.  They are kept company by volunteers aged 8-15 from local schools that visit on Saturdays who help to make their lives much more pleasant.

The Future For Eneredada

Currently there are 100 beneficiaries but due to current inflation and exchange rate fluctuation, the day centre sessions have been cut back to three days a week to reduce costs.  Hopefully, this situation will change soon. The centre is an extremely happy and social place, a welcome change from the desperate loneliness that some of the elderly experienced before.

For many of the elderly who visit Eneredada, life is still hard. However, thanks to funding from Ethiopiaid, this project can continue its amazing work, immeasurably improving the beneficiaries' quality of life.