PARTNERSHIPS MUST GO BEYOND PILOTS TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS FOR OLDER PERSONS
By Jeff Kizzilah Digital EditorPartnerships supporting older persons in Kenya must move beyond short-term pilot projects and develop into sustainable systems built on trust, shared accountability and stronger collaboration, Suqoon has said.
Speaking during a panel on “Harnessing Partnerships and Social Capital for Dignified Ageing and Older Persons’ Programming,” Suqoon emphasised that effective partnerships should bring together organisations and institutions with different strengths, including mandates, resources, legitimacy and reach.
The organisation said Older Persons Associations (OPAs) should be recognised as strategic partners because of their legitimacy and close connection with older people, while government ministries should be viewed not only as regulators but also as partners with the mandate and budget authority to scale successful local initiatives into national programmes.
The statement also highlighted the need to invest deliberately in the capacity of older persons’ organisations, particularly in governance, reporting and organisational systems. It noted that withholding significant funding until organisations demonstrate capacity can create a cycle in which capacity never develops.
Suqoon said trust must work both ways, with development partners investing in organisational capacity while organisations maintain high standards of accountability, ethics and integrity.
The organisation also pointed to the role of social capital — networks, trust and community relationships — in delivering everyday support to older persons. Examples include family members accompanying relatives to health facilities, community health promoters supporting older people, chamas assisting vulnerable households and faith-based groups identifying people who may need help.
The statement said the next step should be creating a “partnership architecture that holds”, with clear mandates, shared accountability and deliberate recognition of government and Older Persons Associations as strategic partners.
Suqoon said stronger connections between organisations can help transform individual initiatives into a coordinated system capable of delivering more sustainable support for Kenya’s ageing population.
