PENSIONS

Pensions empower older people

The multiple and significant effects of the cash transfers for older people headed households in the Kwa Wazee programme have been documented in studies in 2008 and 2014. Social pensions of considerably less than 10 US $ per month increase the average household income by almost 80%.

The effects are: more food, more varied nutrition, more basic household products, stabilized health and better protection against crises. Pensions also have a significant effect on the psychological wellbeing of the beneficiaries and they strengthen their social status in their community. For many beneficiaries a pension provides the opportunity to invest and to strengthen their subsistance. Children in supported households do less hard work, have more time to play and increased opportunities to get an education.

At the end of 2019 around 1031 older people received a pension A substantial number of them received child supplements for the 327 grandchildren in their care. Pensions are periodically increased to cover inflation.

In the last decade cash transfer programmes have considerably grown in number and are commonly recognized for their effectiveness when dealing with most vulnerable groups.

Various African governments have implemented social pensions or have announced to introduce them like the Republic of Tanzania.

As far as it is possible for a small programme, Kwa Wazee is ambitious to feed its experience and the lessons learned into the national debate.