For the well-being of senior citizens: Foyer d’Amour Ong launches (…)

Support for senior citizens. The ”Balance” project of Foyer d’Amour Ong fills a great void in terms of assistance to the elderly in the Republic of Benin. This innovative project aims to improve the living and working conditions of the elderly through the promotion of laws and good practices aimed at their protection, to promote the health and well-being of the elderly, to train them in Technologies information and communication (ICT), management and management. According to the cry of the heart of the president of Foyer d’Amour Ong, Adrien Tchomakou, the elderly are marginalized, discriminated against, ignored, mistreated and most of them live in precariousness. “The living conditions of these people in Benin are extremely degraded. They remain easy prey to so-called old age diseases such as disability, chronic illnesses and sometimes morbidities,” he said. The belief throughout Beninese society in witchcraft, the transmission of which would be matrilineal, makes every old woman suspect of being a witch. All of this tends to increase the isolation of older women whose state of health is very threatened. Old age is therefore seen as a fact and not as the result of a planned process of human development. For Adrien Tchomakou, despite the breadth of the theme on the rights of the elderly and the efforts made by the government, there is no specific law that governs the rights of these elderly people. However, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights specifies in its article 18 al. 4 that: “Elderly or disabled persons are also entitled to specific measures of protection in relation to their physical or moral needs”. The president of Foyer d’Amour Ong also admitted that several materials will be offered to seniors during awareness raising.

The technical aspect of the ”Balance” project was revealed by the project manager Marcel Zoumènou for whom the elderly need special protection and good social security. “They must receive special attention in health centres. This is why Foyer d’Amour Amour will be called upon to sensitize health workers to take care of the elderly and not let them queue for consultation or treatment, “he said. wish. Talking about the training of the elderly in ICT, Marcel Zoumènou affirms that it is impossible today to imagine a world without ICT and an activity without its influence. Often, older people lag behind when it comes to the use of these technologies. Marcel Zoumènou also declares that an awareness-raising sketch of one minute and 30 seconds will be produced to sensitize the populations against discrimination against the elderly. The actors and directors will imagine a scenario that deals with violence and discrimination against the elderly. This sketch will be broadcast on television and social media.