Home for the Elderly

• Introduction.

Bethsaida Wazee Home is nonprofit making organization, geared toward taking care of the poor aged in the community. It is the initiative led by Rev Arphaxad Mumu with other like-minded, dedicated people whom he work together with to push this vision forward.

The initiative is running five feeding station with each station catering over one hundred aged people. The program is being undertaken in rural areas where the economic activities are subsistence faming. With unpredictable weather patens’ resulting to lack of enough rain for any substantial harvest leaves these elderly vulnerable. As a result these people live in abject poverty, with no security for food and health. The alarming rate of aged in the community is increasing; majority of these had non-formal employment. A creative structure to take care of the needs of these elderly people is much needed now.

• Problem Statement.

The scourge of HIV AIDS has been felt in rural areas. The infected young when they die they leave the burden of children with their parents who are elderly with little ability to take care of them. The ballooning population has left many young people who are graduating with no employment and many being underemployed. This scenario leaves the aged parents who invested to educate them with no one to really care for them when they mostly need help. Rural urban migration also has left young people migrating to towns to look for employment, leaving the elderly behind with little assistance.

Bethsaida Wazee Home has become a relief to such elderly poor in the community. But the initiative faces diverse challenges. First being at its infancy level and second the numerous number of elderly who need to be attended to. The vision is to put these people in homes where their needs can be taken care of, but as for now they live in their conventional homes as they regularly receive some basic provisions.

The major problems seen in the homes are:

• In the lack of mosquito nets, proper mattresses and blankets, they frequently suffer from various health problems such as cough, cold, fever, pneumonia and skin infections.
• Lack of pure drinking water, the elderly people is suffering from various waterborne diseases.
• They lack timely health checkup. So, many are found suffering from fatal diseases.
• The elderly people lack sufficient nutritious food.
• The elderly people are using firewood to cook food. They do not have improved cooking stoves. So, their huts are full of smokes which have caused health problems such as asthma and cough.

3. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT:

The vision, mission and objectives.

VISION: To relieve poverty and promote welfare among the aged in the community.

MISSION: To ensure access to the poor helpless Aged persons in Kenya to safe accommodation, tender love, proper care, nourishment, health service and other basic needs through establishment and operation of a sustainable Old Aged homes.

OBJECTIVES:

• To organize feeding programs for the elderly in the community.
• To establish a well-constructed, well managed, participated and safe Old Aged homes at suitable places.
• Initiate income generating projects.
• Conduct training for their personal warfare.
• To raise funds from donors, county governments, national government, corporates and churches for the welfare of the elderly.