Internationalising elderly: exchanges in Bangladesh and Belgium lead to elderly clubs set up by GK

GK has also been exchanging since 2016 with OKRA, a Belgian member organisation of WSM for, by and with elderly, regarding the ageing population and the implications this has for social protection.

Dr Kadir: “This reflection and activities have made many changes inside GK. While we already treated many elderly through our health outreach, we are now switching this to a movement for and by the elderly, which is a major difference. The exchanges and joint statements from GK and OKRA for instance on the International Day for Elderly prompted us to think globally but act locally. GK has initiated ten elderly clubs that gather at least monthly and offer a space for elderly to get health advice, but more importantly to interact and feel less alone.  They can talk about the current political situation, meet with authorities and demand the pensions elderly should be entitled to, and also do sport activities at their level of comfort. The clubs also annually organize elderly festivals, which are important to have the rest of the village think about how elderly are treated and to ensure they are respected. Besides loneliness however, the main fear of these elderly is that they feel they are a burden for the rest of the family. Many Bangladeshi move from the rural areas to the city or even abroad, so the traditional care system for elderly is collapsing. Hence, we are also looking into possibilities of income generating activities these elderly clubs can set up."