The first of October was International Day of Older People, and in this article we bring attention to some of the issues affecting elderly people in the farming community.
Dineo Elizabeth Moleko has been a member of Rural Women’s Assembly since 2007. Moleko is a resident of Sebokeng in Gauteng and takes care of her two grandchildren aged nine and fifteen years, since their parents are unable to care for them fulltime. Moleko farms vegetables and sells them on the streets to help her provide for her grandchildren. “We struggle a lot to find a market for our products. We need assistance to have a farmers market in our malls so that we are able to sell our products,” Moleko pleaded. Because of her great experience and knowledge, she sometimes visit schools, churches to educate people about farming.
Moleko says that democracy has failed the elderly, even though they were part of fighting for our democracy. Moleko is pleading with government to stop neglecting the elderly, “Please don’t neglect us and focus only on the younger generation that might only be after money, while older generation is looking after life. We want people to eat organic food and live longer. We are still capable. Give us a chance to pass our indigenous knowledge and include us in your programs because we have been farming for years and we have passion for farming,” Moleko explains.
Dineo Elizabeth Moleko, Rural Women’s Assembly in Gauteng
Moleko appreciate Rural Women’s Assembly for the support and training, “The best part of being a member of RWA is that I have traveled across many countries and learned a lot from other farmers. We even get the opportunity to exchange seeds with our sisters from other countries. At the moment, I plant a unique maize that I got from Malawi. Thanks to RWA,” Moleko added.
Farmers often work beyond the standard retirement age. Older farmers, like younger ones, need ongoing training on topics such as best practises for soil management, climate change mitigation, marketing produce and diversifying into other forms of farming.
The elderly are often caregivers for their grandchildren, sick and/or unemployed family members. While some may enjoy their caregiving role, others may be vulnerable to exploitation. The South African Social Assistance Agency (SASSA) offers an Old Age Grant but the value of the grant is not enough to keep pace with inflation and the sky rocketing costs of food. Many elderly people are also targeted and robbed for their Old Age grant. While the meagre grant is meant for the pensioner to care for themselves, it is simply not enough to care for one person, let alone to care for extended family members. It is therefore crucial that women have access to land and water to grow food since it will help households to become food secure and make them less reliant on unaffordable retailers for basic food.
