Blogs

Forgotten workforce: older people and their right to decent work

Richard Blewitt, CEO of HelpAge International, shares his personal views on older people's right to decent work: 1 May is International Workers Day. To mark this HelpAge International has launched a new report, "Forgotten Workforce: Older people and their

HelpAge in amazing China!

By Eduardo Klien, Regional Representative for East Asia and Pacific: China never ceases to amaze me. The China I first visited in 1998 is very different from the one we see nowadays. This is one of the most radical...

Haiti: Last update from Rush Unisersity Medical Center staff

Lauren Kessler (pictured here with a municipal nursing home resident) is a clinical social worker with the Rush University Medical Center who has been in Haiti assisting older people alongside HelpAge. She has been keeping the Rush newsblog updated...

Haiti: Older people stuggling in the earthquake aftermath

Although Les Cayes was not directly affected by the earthquake, the older people living there are feeling its consequences. I met with around 30 older people in La Savanne, one of Les Cayes' poorest neighbourhoods. Most of the older...

“One woman, 365 days to do good”

We could all take a leaf out of Betty Londergan's book (or blog). 1 January 2010 marked the start of a pretty amazing year for Betty. For the next 365 days, she pledged to donate $100 every day to...

Older Haitians keep the faith

For older people in Petit-Goave food and shelter are of much help, but some needs go beyond the tangible. Older women gather on Friday at the ruins of what used to be the Catholic Church of Petit-Goave. They were...

Rush University staff work with HelpAge in Haiti

Since the Haiti earthquake over two months ago, ensuring older people, like Idalliese (right), get food, shelter, medical care and maintain their dignity has been a huge challenge. Luckily though, we have great people working with us. For the...

“People’s victory” brings social pension to Philippines

On 16 February, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines signed the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. The Act includes the introduction of a new non-contributory pension which will be targeted at the "poorest of the poor" over...

International Women’s Day – 8 March 2010

As we celebrate International Women's Day on 8 March, the Commission on the Status of Women is meeting in New York to review how the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action has been implemented by governments 15 years after...

“People’s victory” brings social pension to the Philippines

On 16 February, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines signed the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. The Act includes the introduction of a new non-contributory pension which will be targeted at the "poorest of the poor" over...

Haiti: The resilience of age

As HelpAge's Haiti Communications Coordinator, I'm sharing one of my first experiences of the situation older people are facing here. I visited the Asile St. Jean de Dieu, a nursing home in Petit Goave where HelpAge is assisting older...

HelpAge’s distribution in Haiti is going strong

Latest on HelpAge's relief effort out in Haiti - 10 February HelpAge distributed food and basic essential items. It is the first open-air distribution made exclusively for older people. The distribution was planned with IPESI (Institute of Promotion of...