Strengthening Livelihoods for Older Persons in Kenya
At the Ethel Foundation for the Aged (EFA), our commitment to dignity, inclusion, and improved quality of life for older persons continues to guide our work across Kenya. Between July and December 2025, we made significant strides in implementing the Sustainable Livelihoods for Older People and Advocacy in Kenya (SLOPAK) project in Kisii and Kisumu Counties.
Responding to Realities on the Ground
Across many communities, older persons continue to face layered challenges—poverty, limited access to healthcare and social protection, neglect and abuse, ageism, and exclusion from decision-making spaces. These realities are not just statistics; they reflect the daily lived experiences of individuals who have contributed immensely to society but often remain underserved.
SLOPAK was designed as a direct response to these challenges—placing older persons at the center of solutions and ensuring their voices are heard, respected, and acted upon.
A Community-Driven Approach
Grounded in the Missionary Approach to Development Interventions (MADI), our work embraces a participatory and rights-based model. This means walking alongside communities, listening deeply, and co-creating solutions that are both sustainable and locally owned.
Through this approach, we are not only addressing immediate needs but also strengthening systems that support long-term wellbeing for older persons.
Key Areas of Progress
Over the reporting period, we achieved meaningful progress across several key areas:
- Strengthening Livelihoods: Supporting older persons to enhance economic independence and resilience.
- Advocacy & Civic Participation: Creating platforms for older persons to engage in decision-making and influence policies that affect their lives.
- Access to Essential Services: Improving connections to health, legal, and social protection services.
- Systems Strengthening: Building the capacity of communities and institutions to deliver age-friendly and inclusive services.
These efforts have laid a strong foundation for deeper impact in the next phases of the project.
Partnerships That Matter
Collaboration remains central to our success. Engagements with county leadership, social services departments, and community stakeholders have strengthened accountability and alignment in delivering support to older persons.
Moments like our county-level meetings in Kisii—bringing together leaders, practitioners, and community representatives—underscore the importance of shared responsibility in advancing the rights and wellbeing of older persons.
Looking Ahead
While the progress is encouraging, the journey continues. The next phase of SLOPAK will build on this foundation—deepening community engagement, strengthening service delivery systems, and scaling advocacy efforts to ensure that no older person is left behind.
At EFA, we believe that ageing should be accompanied by dignity, security, and opportunity—not vulnerability and exclusion.
Together, with partners, communities, and older persons themselves, we are shaping a future where every older person is seen, heard, and valued.
Join the Movement
We invite you to partner with us, support our work, and amplify the voices of older persons across Kenya. Because dignity in ageing is not a privilege—it is a right.