Livelihood Support
Empowering Economic Independence and Financial Security in Later Life
Older persons represent a significant segment of the population living in poverty, struggling to meet essential needs due to financial constraints. At Ethel Foundation, we believe that economic security should not diminish with age, and that older persons deserve sustainable income opportunities that honor their experience, skills, and continued potential for contribution.
What Drives Us
We stand firm in our conviction that no older person should face financial destitution after a lifetime of service to their communities. Recognizing that existing policies and services often exclude older persons—with many insurance companies imposing age limits and denying medical coverage precisely when it’s needed most—our commitment extends to creating inclusive economic opportunities and advocating for systemic change.
We believe that older persons are not just beneficiaries but active economic contributors who, with proper support, can achieve financial independence and dignity. Our work challenges the narrative of dependency and instead champions the resourcefulness and potential that older persons bring to economic development.
Strategic Focus Areas
We provide comprehensive training programs that equip older persons with practical skills to engage in sustainable income-generating activities. Our initiatives include specialized training in weaving, small animal husbandry, poultry farming, and entrepreneurship, enabling older persons to develop viable businesses that support their financial independence. Understanding that traditional forms of wealth have been eroded by climate change and globalization, we focus on building new economic opportunities that are resilient and sustainable. Through hands-on training and business development support, we empower older persons to create their own economic solutions.
We champion sustainable agriculture initiatives that simultaneously address food security and income generation for older persons. Our programs focus on training in climate-resilient farming techniques, crop diversification, and sustainable agricultural practices that older persons can manage effectively. Through initiatives like kitchen gardening, small-scale farming, and livestock keeping, we help older persons build both nutritional security and economic stability. Our approach recognizes that agriculture remains a viable and familiar economic activity for many older persons, particularly in rural areas.
We support comprehensive financial education and advocate for social protection systems that recognize the unique needs of older persons. Our programs include retirement planning awareness campaigns for both formally and informally employed individuals, emphasizing the importance of saving for later life. We work tirelessly to advocate for policy reforms, including proposals to increase the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer from KES 2,000 to KES 6,000, and collaborate with government healthcare plans to establish medical insurance support systems tailored for older persons. Our advocacy ensures that older persons have access to financial protection and healthcare coverage when they need it most.
We actively identify and create market opportunities for products made by older persons, ensuring they have reliable sources of income and sustainable business models. Our approach includes connecting older persons with buyers, facilitating access to markets, and supporting value addition activities that increase the profitability of their enterprises. We work to build partnerships with retailers, cooperatives, and other stakeholders who can provide consistent market access for products created by older persons, ensuring that their economic activities translate into meaningful income and financial stability.
How We Deliver
Asset-based community development and local resource mobilization
Working within existing community structures to build sustainable economic opportunities that older persons can access and manage
Skills transfer and intergenerational knowledge exchange programs
Building knowledge and skills that enable informed financial decision-making and long-term planning
Market-driven partnerships and value chain integration
Leveraging existing systems while advocating for age-inclusive policies and practices
Policy transformation and systemic advocacy for economic inclusion
Using research and lived experiences to drive policy changes that protect and empower older persons economically
Real Impact & Results
Economic Empowerment
Supporting older persons to achieve financial independence through skills development, entrepreneurship training, and sustainable income-generating activities that build on their existing knowledge and capabilities.
Our comprehensive livelihood programs have directly impacted over 1,400 older persons across multiple counties. Through the Living Water Initiative in Naivasha, 1,000 older persons have been trained in sustainable agriculture, significantly improving their food security, income generation, and healthcare access while building community resilience.
Skills Development & Market Access
We have successfully trained and empowered older persons with practical skills that translate into viable businesses and sustainable income sources.
The Inua Wazee Weaving Project has empowered 100 older persons in Kibera with weaving skills, financial literacy, and business training, enhancing their economic independence while strengthening community ties. Our Sustainable Livelihoods for Older People (SLOP) project supports 300 older persons in Kisumu County through poultry farming, providing them with additional economic lifelines and building their capacity for small-scale entrepreneurship.
Policy Advocacy & Social Protection
We actively work to transform policies and systems that exclude older persons from economic opportunities and social protection, ensuring their rights to financial security are recognized and protected.
Our collaboration with Social Impact Development Solutions (SIDS) has resulted in comprehensive policy analysis and memoranda presented to the Ministry of Social Health and Protection for critical reforms. Our ongoing advocacy for increasing the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer demonstrates our commitment to systemic change that provides older persons with greater financial stability and dignity.
Community Resilience & Intergenerational Support
We successfully support economic models that not only benefit older persons directly but also strengthen intergenerational support systems and community resilience.
Our programs recognize that older persons often have care responsibilities for children and other adults, contributing significantly to household incomes. By strengthening their economic capacity, we support entire family systems and communities, building resilience that extends beyond individual beneficiaries to create sustainable community-wide economic improvements.
Through our Livelihood Support initiatives, we continue to champion the belief that older persons are valuable economic contributors who deserve opportunities for financial independence and security. Our work transforms not just individual economic circumstances, but challenges societal assumptions about aging and productivity, creating pathways for dignified and empowered later life.