Understanding resilience in later life in a low resource setting

It is estimated that close to 60 percent of the urban population in Kenya live in slums and informal settlements and the number of slum dwellers continues to grow at a fast pace. One of the key development goals is to reduce urban poverty and improve the lives of slum dwellers. The majority of the population in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa including Nairobi are of working age. However recent research highlights that a growing number of migrants are choosing to age 'in situ', resulting in an increase in the number of older people living in slum areas.

Ageing in urban areas of developing countries can be challenging particularly given the lack of formal social support systems for the aged coupled with employability in the urban economy which is notably problematic for older people. Furthermore, the capacity of the family to contribute to the wellbeing of older persons may be weakened both by migratory moves and the daily challenge of life in the slum. Given this context, it is crucial to understand how older people in low-resource settings adapt, their resourcefulness in maximising on the available social capital and how this translates to better health and socio-economic outcomes and overall wellbeing.

The proposed study will use recently available panel data to investigate the health and socio-economic trajectories of a cohort of people aged 50 and over living in two Nairobi slums to shed light on the factors that are associated with successful ageing in such a setting. The study will apply mixed methodology and advanced statistical approaches to understand the interplay between individual inherent characteristics and external protective factors such as social or family networks, household attributes, and how these interact with shocks, stressors and adverse life-course events to influence individuals' vulnerability or resilience in experiencing negative outcomes. In-depth cross-case analysis using qualitative techniques will be used to triangulate the findings from the statistical analysis and provide comprehensive understanding of the processes through which older people navigate risks, opportunities and [lack of] choices in mitigating shocks and adverse life events.

This research provides the basis for understanding resilience factors among older people and how they might be supported to maximise on existing opportunities and social capital amidst shocks or stresses as well as other life-course events that would potentially impact negatively on their health and socio-economic wellbeing. Findings from the study will be valuable in informing developmental policies designed to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of poor people. In particular, the study will highlight the situation of older people living in urban slums in sub-Saharan Africa, a group that is largely invisible in the development discourse and research focusing on the region.

The non-academic audiences who will benefit from this research are international, bilateral and intergovernmental agencies and civil society groups that seek to improve the wellbeing of poor people. The research will also be directly beneficial to government ministries and departments providing social and health services. The findings from this research will inform third sector organizations that are primarily involved with vulnerable and marginalised populations such as slum dwellers and older people by providing evidence-based recommendation to inform their policies and interventions. One such key stakeholder particularly relevant to this study is HelpAge International, whose primary mandate is advocating for the rights of older people nationally and internationally as well as service delivery to improve the wellbeing of older people. HelpAge works directly with older people through targeted initiatives seeking to help older people overcome poverty and improve their wellbeing. It is envisaged that the findings from this study will inform their programs that seek to empower and improve the capacities of older people. This research will raise the profile of older people living in urban areas as a group in need of attention.

At the national level, one of the government agencies targeted as a beneficiary for this research is the National Coordinating Agency for Population and Development of Kenya (NCAPD) whose mandate is to 'provide leadership in formulating, coordinating and implementing appropriate population policies and programmes for sustainable development'. This agency has facilitated a number of social and health programs aimed at targeting the poor and the most vulnerable in society. Therefore, findings from the proposed study would be particularly relevant to NCAPD as it would provide the agency with strategic methodology for classification of the vulnerable people in society and highlight areas to be targeted for interventions in order to strengthen the capacity of individuals to utilize available opportunities and increase their abilities. Another initiative that will benefit directly from findings from this research is the newly introduced cash transfer scheme. The government of Kenya through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development has allocated funds in the fiscal budget to be dispersed to destitute older people. Findings from the study will therefore be beneficial to the government of Kenya in the identification of older people who are potentially vulnerable and in highlighting this segment of older people living in urban areas given that the current focus for the cash transfer scheme are older people living in rural areas.

The non-academic beneficiaries mentioned above will be involved throughout the phase of the project and concerted efforts will be put in place to engage with them through various forums. The research findings will be disseminated through a number of channels including consultative meetings with the stakeholders at key stages of the projects. In order to improve on the likelihood of the findings of this research being absorbed by the intended beneficiaries, the stakeholders' communication channels will be utilised. This includes using the existing newsletters and other Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials which have an already established circulation to disseminate the research findings. Electronic publications of the research findings in the investigators and partners' websites will facilitate easy retrieval by the wider public through popular search engines.