With your help, Help the Aged, working in partnership with HelpAge International, has achieved a lot since the Asian tsunami devastated thousands of people's lives.

How we have helped

Livelihoods - In India, we have supported Elders Self Help Groups, enabling more than 10,000 older people to find ways to earn money. We helped to establish 55 Community Grainbanks, which are food stores managed by active older members of the groups.

Healthcare - Our fleet of Mobile Medicare Units in India provided health care to over 80,000 older people affected by the tsunami, reaching even the most remote areas. In Sri Lanka and Indonesia we ran dozens of medical camps.

Community - In Sri Lanka, we helped older people to establish independent senior citizens’ committees, which are now consulted by NGOs, local government and authorities on their relief efforts. In Indonesia, we worked to ensure that older people were included in discussions about planning for future disasters.

Homes - In Sri Lanka, we built 250 new homes for older people and their families left without shelter by the tsunami.

Financial independence - In India, we supported older people's groups to successfully petition banks for credit and savings accounts.

Inclusion - We have identified and provided assistance to vulnerable older people who were excluded by government and other agencies.

Research - The effectiveness of relief work depends on knowing what works best. In Indonesia we published research on the impact of the tsunami on older people, with recommendations for how more than 300 other NGOs in the area can best address older people's needs.

Our future plans

We will ensure that the gains older people have made since the tsunami are sustainable by:

• continuing to establish outreach health services for older people in their communities;
• training members of older people's community groups in Disaster Risk Reduction, and assisting them in bringing the topic to the attention of the authorities and the wider communities in which they live;
• helping older people who were excluded by government and other agencies;
• increasing the number, reach and capacity of older people's groups so they can advocate successfully;
• strengthening links with government bodies to ensure continued and better access to outreach services; and
• constructing appropriate water supplies for new housing not able to access water through government supply schemes.