Sargon is a Programme Manager at Dorcas Iraq.  

Sargon: ‘I am deeply committed to advocating for the safety and protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq, as well as ensuring that their fundamental human rights are respected and upheld. These individuals are facing an incredibly challenging situation as they’ve been compelled to leave their homes for various reasons, such as conflict, instability, and threats to their safety. My dedication to this issue stems from the deep belief that every human deserves fundamental human rights and protection regardless of circumstances. It’s a matter of empathy, human dignity, and social justice.’

‘This issue holds paramount importance both in my professional and personal life. As a Programme Manager at Dorcas Iraq, I’m closely involved with IDPs. We work directly with these displaced individuals, providing them with essential resources like shelter, food, and protection services.’   

‘Witnessing their struggles and hearing their stories has also profoundly affected me personally. I believe in every person’s inherent dignity and worth, which makes it even more disheartening to witness so many people, including innocent children and vulnerable families, being forcibly uprooted from their homes.’

‘In addition to direct assistance, I’m involved in advocating for their rights at the policy level. This includes collaborating with local and national authorities and international organisations to ensure these vulnerable individuals receive the required protection and assistance. The goal is to create a society where no one is left behind, and everyone has a fair chance to rebuild their lives and regain dignity.’ 

This story is part of Dorcas’ human rights campaign. Read more stories and statements on our dedicated human rights page. Human Rights – Dorcas

Eva works as a Humanitarian Assistance Expert at Dorcas.  

‘The conflict in Yemen often seems like a never-ending story: people have been trapped in a hopeless situation since 2014. A situation that also makes it quite challenging to find donors who aren’t fatigued by the circumstances. I’ve been to Yemen twice, and I’m deeply impressed by the resilience and optimism of its people. Yemenis are incredibly warm, kind and generous. Also, our colleagues are very passionate, and I’m inspired by their vision for the country and their determination to rebuild it. Despite many reasons for pessimism – Yemenis facing one hardship after another, from conflicts to floods or extreme heat – it energises me when we can respond flexibly to those urgent needs. For example, recently, we were asked to assist 250 families who unexpectedly had to leave everything behind and found themselves with nothing. We provided them with cash assistance.’

‘Besides cash assistance, we also distribute food packages. However, we aim to exchange these food packages for a cash donation wherever possible, as that enables people to choose what they need most and where they spend their money. A condition for this exchange is that people reside in areas close to a market or a shop, so they do not have to spend part of the cash on transportation.’

‘Providing a food package or cash represents far more than just the actual gift. Of course, people need food, but a food package or cash is also a gesture that they are seen and not forgotten. This gesture might impact a person’s life more than the gift they received, and I’m thankful we can make such a vital difference.’ 

This story is part of Dorcas’ human rights campaign. Read more stories and statements on our dedicated human rights page. dorcas.org/humanrights

Joost is Inclusive Entrepreneurship Expert at Dorcas.

Joost: ‘Young people live in a rapidly changing world. Social media has opened their eyes to a dazzling array of opportunities. But for most youth in poorer countries, such chances are pipe dreams as they struggle to find work and live with the impact of challenges like political instability and climate change. Some of them choose to migrate in the hope of a better future, but all too often, their dreams are dashed.’
 
‘In my experience, many young adults are willing to explore local employment opportunities but want better options than their parents had. For instance, farming is only attractive if there are excellent connections with the market, access to technology and a stronger position in the supply chain. However, even if such opportunities come their way, young people often lack the skills they need to grab them.’ 

‘Dorcas therefore runs education and training programmes to support vulnerable youth find local paid work or start their own business. For example, from 2016 to 2021, I was involved in the Employable Youth in Ethiopia (EYE) programme. This partnership between international and local stakeholders provided technical and vocational training and micro enterprise development relevant to the local market to over 20,000 young people in Southern Ethiopia. When they graduated, a job and business mediation service helped them find work locally or start their own business instead of migrating elsewhere in search of a better life.’

This story is part of Dorcas’ human rights campaign. Read more stories and statements on our dedicated human rights page. dorcas.org/humanrights/

Joyce and her family are involved with Dorcas Kenya through their daughter, who is part of the sponsorship programme. 

Joyce: ‘I stand up for empowerment and protection because I want to claim my rights and shape policies that affect my future. Before I got involved in the Dorcas programme, I was not involved in major decision making and struggled to do so as a woman. I did not feel empowered and was not able to access markets. Furthermore, at that time I did not find education for my children a priority and I struggled to speak out against harmful cultural practises that affected my children. I also did not openly have conversations with my children about sensitive topics, like sex-education. It was common that this was left to teachers in schools to handle.’

‘Our family got connected to Dorcas through my daughter, who was part of the sponsorship programme. Through the programme, I have received some training on positive parental skills. This has had a major positive impact on my relationship with my children. Looking back, I realise that harmful taboos negatively affected my children. People are not just physical beings, but also moral and spiritual beings. Human rights advocates need to focus on protecting and preserving the sense of common humanity. To ensure that every individual can live a life of dignity and a life that is worthy of a human being. Certain issues are sensitive in our community, but it is important to conduct sensitisation forums on these issues, so the community becomes more aware of harmful behaviours. These forums will support parents to talk and discuss more openly with their children how this is affecting them.’

‘I have also been trained on the “Village Saving and Lending Association” (VSLA) by Dorcas and this has taught me the importance of saving money weekly and has changed my life drastically. Now, I can access loans through “table banking” and this has enabled me to buy an iron sheet house, while before I lived in a mud house. Additionally, our livelihood strategies and farming yields have improved, and I can now pay school fees for my younger children and feed my family.’  

‘My hope is that more people will be reached and will access the trainings I received, so more lives are improved, as mine has.’

This story is part of Dorcas’ human rights campaign. Read more stories and statements on our dedicated human rights page. https://dorcas.org/humanrights/

Lara and her family are project participants of Dorcas Lebanon.  

Lara: ‘I stand up for women’s empowerment and rights because I want women to be strong enough to reclaim their rights and for them to be safe.’   

Lara lives with her husband and two daughters in Lebanon. She takes care of the household and also cares for her mother and her mother-in-law. 

Lara: ‘As a family, we have gone through a lot of turmoil in the recent years. Because of the Beirut blast in 2020 and the crisis in Lebanon, we needed more assistance to meet our basic needs, but I was embarrassed and reluctant to ask for this. Later, I felt that I became stronger, and I realised that to help myself and others, I needed to ask for support.’

‘We connected with Dorcas, and they provided psychosocial support for my children. This was very beneficial to them. Later, I also participated in sewing sessions and received a sewing machine. This gave me a boost to move forward. With these new skills, I could provide an income for my family. It was a learning opportunity for me, and because of this, I got more empowered and confident. My dream for the future is always to provide for my daughters and, most importantly, to cover their tuition fees so they can receive a good education and have better chances in life.’  

This story is part of Dorcas’ human rights campaign. Read more stories and statements on our dedicated human rights page. Human Rights – Dorcas

Addisu is a Granny Association Chairman in Ethiopia at the Samaritan Vision Charity Organisation. This is a partner of Dorcas Ethiopia.  

‘I stand up for older people in my country because they are often marginalised due to neglect, abuse and exploitation by society. Older people face many challenges, for example: accessing health care, social services and legal protection. In my experience, they often lack information, resources and also the confidence to speak up for their interests and needs. It is not uncommon for older people in Ethiopia to be denied the right to make decisions about their finances, property and even sometimes what they eat due to abuses and violence occurred in their own homes.’

‘By advocating for older people, we can support them to achieve a better quality of life, dignity, and respect. We can learn from their wisdom and experience and appreciate their contributions to society. As a member of the granny association, I take part in efforts to mobilise resources, raise awareness, and work with policymakers to create positive change for my fellow seniors. We also provide financial support and resources for older people and their families and empower them to stand up for their own rights.’

‘Advocacy for the rights of older people is very important. Since I am an older man myself, I believe it makes me more responsible than others to stand up for their rights.’

This story is part of Dorcas’ human rights campaign. Read more stories and statements on our dedicated human rights page. Human Rights – Dorcas

*Not his real name. At the participants request, we have used a pseudonym for this contribution.   

Each year on the first of October, we celebrate the international day of older persons. This is an important international day for Dorcas, as we focus on supporting marginalised people and communities and older people are often marginalised and their rights neglected. They often have little income and limited access to health care and social security. In addition to that, they face discrimination and stigmatisation based on cultural norms and social prejudices, like ageism. 

According to the United Nations, the number of people aged over 65 is expected to more than double from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050. The number of people over 80 years old is projected to grow even faster. These numbers increase the urgency of taking the unique set of challenges older people face seriously. In this article we elaborate further on why older people require more of our attention and share some recommendations on how you can include them in your programme.  

Lack of income and social protection 

Dorcas has community safety nets programmes for older people in seven countries: Albania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moldova, Romania, Tanzania and Ukraine. A main problem in these countries is that older people often have little income and that pensions are so low that they are hardly sufficient for covering their daily needs. Insufficient pensions put them in a much greater risk to external shocks as they have less margin to absorb these financially. In Ukraine for example, many older people who were already marginalised have been affected greatly by the ongoing conflict that led to a massive increase in inflation. Their already challenging socio-economic position has therefore become even more dire. Our local colleagues see that older people in Moldova will often accept poor paid jobs in order to survive. All in all, the lack of social protection causes many problems for older people in the countries Dorcas works in. This must become more of a priority for civil society organisations and government actors in the coming years, as the number of older people is rapidly increasing. 

Loneliness and stigmas 

Another major issue that older people face, is loneliness and isolation. In Albania, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine for example, many older people either have no family to support them or their families moved to the cities or abroad. In Egypt, local Dorcas colleagues have experienced that older people are also often neglected by their families. Next to the practical and financial needs, this is one of the most pressing issues. Loneliness greatly affects their well-being. Older people need connection, community and the opportunity to contribute. 

Another reason why older people require our attention, is because of the challenging stigmas and prejudices they face. In Egypt, this is a major issue. There is a stigma that older people’s duty has ended, they are solely recipients of care and are no longer productive. Supporting older people and inviting them to participate in certain activities may therefor lead to opposition in certain contexts.  

Seven ways to include older people in your program

Dorcas supports older people through our community safety nets programme. In this programme, the community plays a central role in making sure people have access to the support structures they need. There are different types of community safety nets, depending on the level on which actors are involved, and a mix of different types is needed to meet the different needs of older people.  

One of the participants in this programme, is Moges from Ethiopia. Before joining the programme five years ago, Moges did not have the means to get enough to eat or pay for medical treatment. He would only eat one meal a day. His house was in very bad shape, as the back wall and roof of his house were falling apart. When Moges joined the Dorcas programme, his life has changed drastically. He is now able to eat three times a day, he gets medical treatment, his house was renovated, he actively participates in the programmes social gatherings and has made many new friends.  

Dorcas supports older people by building a social safety net around them, so that the community increasingly looks after them. We encourage different groups in the community to use their resources to support and involve them in the community. We also advocate for the rights of older people among government actors and encourage to governments to improve the social security services. 

Dorcas has seven recommendations for (I)NGO’s and other actors who are involved in contexts where older people are marginalised, in order to better protect their rights:  

Last July, Jochem Duinhof, political advisor at Dorcas, visited the Dorcas offices and community safety nets programmes in Moldova and Romania. Jochem elaborates on the challenges older people face in Moldova and Romania and how the support of the community equips them to overcome these challenges and build meaningful relationships.  

Community safety nets 

In situations where people are marginalised, safety nets are needed to support them. In a community safety net, the community plays a prominent role in making sure people have access to the support structures they require. Community safety nets are formed by multiple community actors, such as churches or volunteer organisations, and complement the social protection that is provided by the government. The community safety nets programmes of Dorcas Moldova and Romania focus on supporting older people, as they are often marginalised and excluded. A community safety nets programme for older people respond to the different needs they have, such as: a cooking club for fellowship, a social club to decrease isolation or groups that undertake income-generating activities together.  

Jochem: Older people in Moldova and Romania face some major challenges. Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the gas prices have risen tremendously. They already had to make tough financial choices in the winter and now the situation has become even more dire. They often don’t have enough money at the end of the month to buy food and medicine. One of the ways they cope, is by buying preservable goods in the summer when they are cheaper. When winter comes, they chop their own wood or only heat one room in the house to safe costs. Older people also often face loneliness and isolation. Their children move away to work in the cities or abroad and it is more common that they send money back to support their children, not their parents.’ 

Jochem continues ‘What stood out to me when I visited the community safety nets programmes is what a big impact the role of the community has in the lives of older people. Their need to feel they are valued and belong is just as important as their financial needs. I spoke with several women in Moldova, who mentioned that the community helped them out of loneliness. They form friendships, visit each other outside of the organised meetings and help one another in whatever way they can. Doras contributes to a community environment in which all people, even the most marginalised, are seen and get opportunities to participate. Community structures become stronger as community members get more empowered. This is a big part of the work of Dorcas.’ 

Dorcas also supports older people through the community safety nets programmes by supplying food parcels every two months. Furthermore, Dorcus supplies seeds and materials for the cultivation of crops. The older people tend to a vegetable garden together and this supplies them with fresh produce to share among the community. There are also groups that make crafts together, which they sell. These activities increase their income, give them a great sense of achievement and it offers the opportunity to overcome some of the challenges they face together. 

About Dorcas’ community safety nets 

Community safety nets are part of our long-term objective to have an increased number of vulnerable people receive support through a community safety net. We aim to achieve inclusive social development of vulnerable people within empowered communities. The prime focus is mobilising and organising communities to take ownership of problems and work on opportunities in an asset-based way. Dorcas has community safety nets programmes in Albania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Moldova, Romania, Tanzania, and Ukraine. 

The Dutch Africa strategy is ‘the vehicle par excellence’ for increasing social protection for vulnerable groups, state Jochem Duinhof and Zina Nimeh in this opinion article. That is how you give these groups space ‘to assume their role in the community’ – and such an opportunity does not come along that often is their urgent message to the government ministers responsible for the strategy. 

By: Jochem Duinhof and Zina Nimeh 

A while ago, one of us was in Tanzania and visited Noni’s family. Noni is an eight-year-old girl and she enthusiastically spoke about her good school results. Her grandmother Adamma listened with pride. Due to rising food prices as a result of inflation, she has difficulty taking care of Noni and her older brother. 

Noni’s parents are both absent: her father fled the family immediately after Noni was born, and the mother now lives and works in a city far away. If civil society actors had not intervened, Adamma would have been on her own in raising her grandchildren. Then Noni would have almost certainly have been removed from school to help provide for the family’s livelihood. 

Lack of safety nets 

As the story shows, older persons in Africa are vulnerable to poverty and, in particular, they frequently suffer from a lack of social protection: only 27 percent receive some form of financial support after their working life (figures from 2020). They often then become dependent on those around them, and not everyone has access to a social safety net. 

Urbanisation and the deterioration of traditional extended families mean that older persons are left to take care of themselves. The lack of governments that can provide financial support also affects African older persons. According to research, the number of older persons receiving a pension is below ten percent in almost all African countries. 

As a result, they often have to provide for their livelihood and that of their grandchildren on their own and the risk that they end up in long-term poverty is very high. In Africa, only nine percent of persons with disabilities receive some form of financial support, and in 2020, just fifteen percent of mothers received some form of social benefits for their children. 

Opportunities within the strategy 

On Tuesday, 30 May, the Dutch government ministers Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs) and Schreinemacher (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) published the Dutch Africa strategy, which outlines the policy for ten to fifteen years. The strategy is an excellent opportunity to boost the development of social safety nets for older persons, persons with disabilities and vulnerable families with children so that they can play their part in the community. 

In its current form, the strategy pays little attention to this specific development challenge even though plenty of opportunities exist to tackle it effectively. For example, the Netherlands could more actively support African governments in providing a financial safety net to potentially vulnerable people, including older persons, in the form of benefits, pensions and health insurance. 

Such a safety net improves people’s resilience in the face of adversity, helps to prevent children from being taken out of school to contribute to the family’s livelihood or stops essential production assets from being sold to meet short-term needs. An additional advantage is that a financial safety net has no strings attached: recipients decide what they spend the money on, such as water, food or education. And research has demonstrated that this approach is effective. 

The Dutch government could help to realise this change by putting its own tax system in order so that Western multinationals can no longer channel African tax money through the Netherlands. And the Netherlands, together with the international community, could invest more in cancelling the debts of African nations. Both interventions are necessary to give African governments sufficient financial strength to provide social safety nets. 

Another way to contribute is to advocate internationally for a global social protection fund. New research has outlined for the first time how social protection funding could be available to all at a relatively low cost and that it would have tremendously positive effects on reducing poverty and inequality. The Africa strategy is the vehicle par excellence for developing such activities in the near future. 

Financial safety nets offer children like Noni a more stable home base from which they can develop and look forward to the day when they will be grandparents themselves – no child should be deprived of that perspective. 

Jochem Duinhof is a political advisor at Dorcas Aid International, and Zina Nimeh is an associate professor of public policy at the United Nations University in Maastricht. 

In the Zummar sub-district in Iraq, Dorcas provided agricultural assets and supported the improvement of livelihoods for income generation for returnees and internally displaced persons. This project was done in partnership with World Vision International and Harikar NGO and was funded by the Iraq humanitarian fund of OCHA. Othman and Ibrahim, two project participants, share how this project has benefited them.

When Othman returned to his village after the IS conflict, his agricultural business and land had been destroyed. He struggled to get enough income for his family. Dorcas provided Othman with agriculture inputs, training and an irrigation system to be able to rebuild the family’s agricultural business.  

Othman describes: ‘We didn’t have enough income to cover our expenditures, but after I received the agricultural inputs from Dorcas, the expenditures have been reduced. This project has made me more self-reliant, and it has had a very good impact on the community.’ 

Ibrahim also returned to his village after the conflict. When he arrived, he did not have enough income to purchase seeds, fertilisers and to plow the land before planting. As part of the sustainable livelihood project, Ibrahim received rain-fed inputs and training.  

Ibrahim describes: ‘Through this support, we have recultivated our lands. Due to the high prices of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides we were not able to purchase this, but now we are on the right track in our agricultural business.