Report - Helpage India Programme

Now elderly are ready to take initiative for advocating for their rights and entitlements. The
confidence level increased due to awareness raise on the government schemes, their rights and
entitlements and the benefits of getting organize in groups. Now the rural elderly are much more
confident to discuss their problems at big platform in front of government officials.
The Elderly Self Help Groups became the source of required exposure and support and a strongest
means for developing the habits of savings and cooperation between the members of ESHGs and
the community thereby.
The Age demand Actions, training, capacity building
programmes, recreation programmes under SaGP and
campaigns for the rights and entitlements of the elderly people
feel engaged and active.
The older people are now having their own organization i.e.
ESHGs at village and have some funds of their own saving and
some funds provided by the Help Age India as the Capital seed
money to be utilized by the members of ESHGs at the time of
any need. Now the smile of their faces clearly spell the change
and improvements in their lives.
The pilgrimage and the Elderly fair provided an opportunity to
older person to be together, share their experiences, and enjoy
gossips, putting on new clothes, singing and dancing
individually and in the groups.
Quality of life of the senior citizens is improving, as they have
greater access to clean drinking water, good health due to
provision of medicines and physio-care, grain access etc.
The biggest achievement had been through ESHG Federations
advocacy initiatives, the Chief Minister of the State declared increment in the social security pension
though marginal will provide for a bit support.
Challenges Faced in the Last 6 Months and Steps Taken to Overcome the Challenges:
New FCRA ruling had affected the project in substantial delay and later providing seed capital to the
groups as the clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs was received only by last week of the
year end.
Due to compliance issues in terms of non-negotiable programme components, two partner agencies
had to be dropped after the audit and the case load of beneficiaries has shifted to other partner
NGOs.
It has been difficult to select common livelihood activities due to the topography of the area; hence
groups have gone for individual loans amongst their members.
Organizing medicines during primary medical consultation/health checkup camps for the older
persons/the beneficiaries of the SaGP Project. There are only two sources available for getting the
medicines one is government and other one is pharmaceutical companies which are very few in the
area.
In maximum Villages where the ESHGs have been formed, there is no one who can read and write,
maintains their accounts books and writes the meeting proceedings. The area is highly scattered and
transportation facilities are also not available.
Organising a workshop on Age demand Action at state level but due to lack of interest of
government we couldn’t succeed, hence the ADA workshop at district levels and with the forward
steps of federations.
Government schemes are not reaching elders still. The criteria for getting benefits of the schemes
are too unfeasible. So we are advocating for the change at policy level.