In its continuous advocacy for an end to abuse of elderly people, two non-governmental organizations, the Center for Gender Economics (CGE Africa) and the DewDrop Foundation, DDF, have taken their campaign to 11 Enugu communities.
This is coming days after it had also engaged journalists in Enugu State on the prevalent rate of neglect and abuse of the elderly in Nigerian communities.
Programme officer of CGE Africa, Florence Ifeanyi-Aneke explained that the elderly people were being faced with all manner of deprivations in the country.
She said a-3 week data collection exercise has commenced in the 11 communities, namely Akpuoga, Amaechi Idodo Umuode, Ogonoeji- Akpugo, Ogbeke, Orjiagu- Agbani, Akwuke Uwani, Akwuke Awkunanaw, Ndiagu Owo, Isigwe Ugbawka and Isienu Nkerefi.
According to Ifeanyi-Aneke, who spoke during one of the advocacy visits, on Thursday, at Amaechi Idodo community, “data collectors and community mobilizers have been trained for this exercise. The data collectors and community mobilizers will be spending 3 days in each community.
“1st day they will carry out a survey by administering questionnaires to elderly persons in order to establish elderly persons current situation as it relates to the different forms of abuse they experience.
“On the 2nd day, the data collectors will conduct focal group discussions with community stakeholders: community leaders, Religious Groups (Churches), Age groups Seniors (60 Years and Above), Age Groups Youths (Above 18 Years), Age Groups Adolescents (11 – 18 years), Social groups Educationist (Teachers) and Community Health/Social workers – to examine their perspective and attitudes to ageing and abuse.”
She added that the data collectors will also “carry out key informant interviews with leaders of already identified community groups to further probe at individual levels the opinions of community leaders on elder abuse within the community.
“After 3 weeks data collection exercise, the information gathered will be analyzed; from the research findings, 3 reports will be produced and published for further use in the project – Community Assessment of Elder Abuse – a baseline line report; Seenagers Association Toolkit- which will serve as a facilitation guide for the Seenagers clubs that will become operational in 10 more additional communities, in addition to Umuode where it has been piloted in the past.
“There will also be the Community Stakeholders inclusion Guide- which will serve as a guide to community stakeholders on how to stop abuse of the elderly persons and include them in key communal activities Living the saying that “Sometimes It Takes A ‘Village’ To Help Seniors Stay In Their Homes.”
The advocacy, cum training programme was attended by people from various age brackets.
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