INTERNATIONAL ELDERS DAY CELEBRATION IN ETHIOPIA

On the 32nd and 31st international elders day celebration in Ethiopia, the president Sahlework Zewde was celebrated with the slogan “Elderly Ethiopian legacy for generations”. In the speech of the president, “There are many elderly people who acted as if they didn’t work… We as a society need to change the way we think about our elderly.. We have to do more,” she explained. “The world will continue after generations of lies … So the elderly have to be reminded that it is not a privilege that they have respect, support, care, is a right, not a privilege. Organisations that are established in the work of helping the elderly have a platform for discussion and support. There will be an exhibition showing the work done by these organisations and other art shows on the day.

The 32nd International Day of the Older Persons and the 31st in Ethiopia was celebrated on the theme “Ethiopian legacy of the elderly for generation guardianship” in the presence of President Sahle-Work Zewde. In her speech, the President said that “there are numerous elderly who are considered as if they have never worked in their life … as a society we need to change the way we think about them … we need to do more”. She added that “the world is moving forward because there is intergenerational relay … therefore, the elderly getting respect, support and care is a right not charity”. Furthermore, she emphasised that the elderly should not only be remembered for just a day. She encouraged organisations involved in the support of the elderly to have a joint discussion and support of each other platform.