| dc.description.abstract | The government of Uganda adopted the national policy for older persons in 2009 that calls for equal treatment, social inclusion, and provision of livelihood support for older persons. SAGE programme has helped households to retain and build their productive assets, and it has reduced their vulnerability by supplementing their natural coping strategies in the face of shocks with a no exception of improved health outcomes for some households. However, the government intend to change the target mechanism from 65 years to 80 years. This study sought to explore the perceptions people have towards the shift in the target mechanism with specific objectives of examining the perception people have towards that shift of the SAGE program eligibility criteria, to explore the likely effects due to the shift in the SAGE program eligibility criteria from 65 years to 80 years and to assess the that the strategies that will be adopted to cope with the effects of the shift of the SAGE program eligibility criteria from 65 years to 80 years.
The study adopted a case study approach and it was purely qualitative to generate information in line with the study objectives. These were engaged in in-depth interviews and key informants interviews.
The results of the study showed that the study participants have a negative perception towards the shift of the eligibility criteria from 65 to 80 years. Both the beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries viewed the target mechanism of shifting from 65 years to 80 years as unfair and unjust, involves social exclusion, stigmatized and discriminatory, not effective targeting mechanism and trouble causing process. In addition, the study also found that the shift of the eligibility criteria from 65years to 80 years will have significant negative effects on the welfare of the people. Most of the respondents said that the shift would negatively affect the beneficiaries and the non-beneficiaries. Some of the likely impacts included increased poverty, increased child marriages and school dropout, reduced access to health services and increased health risks and limited civic participation and negative attitude towards the government. The study made a recommendation that the government should reverse its decisions to increase the eligibility criteria from 65 to 80 years as the community had a negative attitude towards the shift and also the study identifies that the shift will have adverse effects than the desired results. | en_US |
