Verein Kwa Wazee - Renten für alte Menschen in Not in Tansania

About us

Kwa Wazee (Kiswahili: for older people) is a programme of social protection in Kagera Region, Tanzania, with two main sections: older people and people living with HIV/Aids + OVC. Kwa Wazee working with the elderly to promote pension programmes in Tanzania. Kwa Wazee Switzerland is co-founder and main supporter of the older people section.

Kwa Wazee started in December 2003 to support grandparents – mainly grandmothers – who cared for grandchildren who have lost their parents, mostly due to AIDS. Designed small scale from the beginning Kwa Wazee tried to provide support to a limited number of older people and their dependents through social pensions - and child supplements for older careers. As essential added value Kwa Wazee understood itself as a learning laboratory in the field of ultra-poor older people and skipped generation households where very little knowledge seemed to exist in literature.
Over the years complementary programme-parts of empowerment or protection were developed and networks were strengthened with international NGOs and also with governmental organisations.

Projects:
• Pension Fund: Kwa Wazee Project is a cash transfer programme that targets poor and vulnerable people over the age of 60, including those caring for children without parents. Each household receives a monthly grant
• Psychosocial support: Promote and develop self-help; Networking and inclusion and building social capital; Building up human capital of older people; Enhance capacities for crisis management;
• Health: The strategies are divided in three areas: prevention, care and cure.

Impact of the intervention
• Study-Project - Evidence and opportunities from a remote area: Kwa Wazee can provide important lessons for how a social pension could be delivered across Tanzania, and in other similar contexts. In 2014 a study by HelpAge International which focused on the feasibility of a pension programme in particularly remote areas strongly confirmed the vulnerability status of older people and the crucial impact of pensions for older people and their dependents. There were also indicators that HIV/AIDS related vulnerability had been reduced with the access to ARV for the middle generation: Less children growing up with grandparents, more inkind support.
• Study-Project - Salt, soap and shoes for school: The impact of pensions on the lives of older peopIn 2008 a quasi-experimental comparison group design showed a significant reduction of poverty in supported households, significantly improved food intake, significantly improved psychological well-being and a slightly improved health condition. Older people who got supported by cash transfers were strengthened in the reciprocity process with their family, their neighbours and in their community. Children growing up in supported households in addition to this had less hard work to do and had improved conditions for their education le and grandchildren in the Kwa Wazee project in Tanzania´s Kagera region.

Stefan Hofmann is the Chairman of Kwa Wazee Switzerland.

For other net participants we can offer overnight facilities. Also we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of cash transfers, research with a focus on older people in remote rural settings, social protection approach older people and dependents.