Aging In Rural Ethiopia The Lived Experiences Of Older People In Agrarian Community With Particular Reference To Sedika Kersa Community Arsi Oromia

The literature recognizes that gerentological enquiries are generally scarce in Africa. Despiternthe overall dearth of gerentological studies in Ethiopia, most of studies conducted on issues ofrnolder people hitherto excluded rural older people. Nevertheless, many of rural older people arerntotally excluded from public pension. Besides, rural older people have suffered a plethora ofrnplights. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore, describe, and interpretrnexperiences of ageing of older people in agrarian community. Hermeneutic phenomenology wasrnused to look into the experience of 10 older people (6 male and 4 female) aged 70 and morernyears recruited purposively. In-depth interview and observation were used in order to collectrndata from the participants. The data were analyzed through phenomenological data explicationrnguideline adopted from different authors. The findings of the study indicate that the participantsrnof the study do not attach positive meanings to their ageing body. Though they do not nullifyrntheir children’s filial responsibility and intergenerational solidarity, they are displeased withrnthem. Thus, they have developed sense of devaluation or sense of loss of worth. As a result, theyrnare pessimistic about their future care when they totally lose their personal agency. Apart fromrndecreased engagement, the participants have different socio-economic participations .Thernparticipants have suffered from different challenges .The findings of the study can sensitizernpolicy makers and other concerned bodies to the needs of older people. Additionally, the studyrncan be an input for future further studies on the issue. The implication of the study is that there isrna need to enhance gerentological enquiries in the countryside and a wholehearted collaborationrnamong various stakeholders to mitigate multifaceted challenges and meet needs of rural olderrnpeople.rnKey words: aging, filial responsibility, intergenerational solidarity, engagement

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