Column CEO: Rights don’t retire
Written by: Agnes Kroese, CEO of Dorcas
When we meet someone new, what do we see?
We can form quick judgements based on first impressions. Are they young or old? Successful or struggling? Confident or insecure? In just a few moments, we have started to put them into a box.
And yet, no one actually wants to be reduced to a label. We want to be seen and valued for who we are, and to know that we belong.
For many older people living in poverty and isolation, feeling truly seen and valued is far from their daily reality. Changes in income, health or independence can affect their sense of security and their ability to participate in community life. Every person has the right to social protection, safety and participation. Yet these rights are not always accessible, and older people are often excluded from decisions that affect them.
But rights do not diminish with age. Older people are not only people who may need care or support – they are rights-holders and valued members of their communities, with knowledge and experience to share.
A moment of mutual respect
I saw this in a simple but powerful way during a visit to Ethiopia a few years ago. Outside a meeting room, older people were sitting with their feet in buckets of water while young people gently washed them. As they did, the older generation shared stories, memories and lessons from their lives. What stayed with me was not the act of care itself, but the mutual respect it expressed. Care was offered, while experience was honoured and shared across generations.
For me, that moment showed what it means to truly recognise someone. It is more than noticing their needs. It means listening to their voice and recognising the experience they bring to their communities.
Rights and belonging
That is why, for this year’s International Day of Older Persons, Dorcas uses the theme ‘Seen and valued – rights and dignity of older people’. It reflects a principle at the heart of our work: older people should not be defined by their needs or vulnerabilities, but recognised as people with a voice, value and a place in their communities.
At Dorcas, we work with older people living in poverty through Community Safety Nets in Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Albania, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt. Together with communities, we strengthen social connections and improve access to vital support, so that older people can continue to participate actively in community life.
On 1 October, we take a moment to celebrate older people and reflect on what their rights and dignity mean in practice. Every older person has the right to access the care and support they need, to be safe and to be heard.
A person’s worth is not something we earn through age, productivity or independence. It belongs to every person, at every stage of life.
As part of Dorcas’ 2026 International Day of Older Persons campaign, ‘Seen and valued – rights and dignity of older people’, we are highlighting the rights, dignity and contributions of older people and the value they bring to their communities.
