Africa Is Ageing
The people who raised us, taught us and built our communities are growing older, and across Kenya and much of Africa, growing old is becoming harder. People are living longer, families are changing, and the traditional support systems that once surrounded older persons are under growing strain. Millions of older persons now face isolation, declining health, economic hardship and shrinking networks of care, while families try their best to support ageing parents and grandparents, often without the information or resources they need. Kenya has fewer than ten doctors trained in geriatric medicine serving more than three million older persons.
Behind these numbers are real people: mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers, farmers, nurses and caregivers who spent decades building families and communities. Too often, their stories go untold and their voices unheard. The question is no longer whether ageing matters, but whether our societies are ready for it.
Who Is Suqoon
Suqoon, whose motto is Wazee Baraka Yetu (“Our Elders, Our Blessing”), is a Kenyan organisation that provides social protection, support and advocacy services for older persons across the country. Its work goes beyond immediate assistance: Suqoon pursues systemic change through policy, advocacy and legislative initiatives that secure the rights of older persons. This has included working with the Government on the Older Persons Bill and a sensitisation booklet on older persons, as well as partnering with homes for older persons to fund renovations, provide upkeep and food, and supply essentials such as medication and clothing.
Founded by philanthropist Shakira Khawaja, Suqoon is guided by a simple conviction: that fostering respect and care for older persons today builds a compassionate society that will care for all of us when we, too, grow old.
Our Work Together
ALADI and Suqoon are joining forces on AGEING FORWARD, a strategic storytelling, advocacy and public engagement platform dedicated to elevating the voices, dignity and wellbeing of older persons across Africa. The platform brings together communities, caregivers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, development partners and citizens around one shared commitment: that growing older should never mean becoming invisible.
AGEING FORWARD is built on four pillars. The first, The People Who Built Us, is a national story harvesting campaign that invites every Kenyan to answer one question: Who helped build the life you have today? Through one-minute stories, beautifully produced “Living Libraries” films and profiles, and the #ThePeopleWhoBuiltUs public campaign, participants will honour one elder, one lesson, one memory and one act of gratitude, with schools, universities, faith groups, community organisations, corporate partners and media all invited to take part.
The second pillar is the flagship AGEING FORWARD documentary series, a three-part journey through the Human Story, the Systems Story and the Future Story of ageing. The series is being co-created with Suqoon through discovery sessions, narrative development and a blueprint workshop, so that it reflects both the realities on the ground and Suqoon’s deep expertise and relationships in the sector.
The third pillar focuses on knowledge, advocacy and public engagement through monthly expert conversations and masterclasses on topics such as dementia, caring for ageing parents, mental health, financial preparedness and caregiver wellbeing, alongside research translation and a thought leadership programme. The fourth, Systems Audit, is a solutions-focused discussion programme examining the systems that shape older persons’ lives, from healthcare and social protection to caregiving, housing, loneliness and Kenya’s readiness for an ageing population.
In its first year, the partnership aims to reach at least one million people, document and share at least 50 stories of older persons and caregivers, convene at least six expert and stakeholder dialogues, and facilitate at least five new partnerships that improve support for older persons.
Why Us?
At ALADI, we believe that storytelling and dialogue are among the most powerful tools for change. Through AGEING FORWARD, we bring our experience in convening conversations, building platforms for African voices and producing compelling content to a cause that touches every family. By pairing this with Suqoon’s grassroots knowledge, advocacy leadership and trusted relationships with older persons and caregivers, we hope to move audiences from empathy to understanding, and ultimately to action.
The people who built us are still among us, and many need us now. Not because they have stopped contributing, but because every stage of life deserves dignity, care and connection.
