THE RETIRED AND AGED CATHOLICS ASSOCIATION IN TANZANIA AS AGENT OF EVANGELIZATION

Introduction

The Elderly in Tanzania according to the National Elderly Policy (URT 2003) include a man and woman who has attained 60 of age and above. This person is most likely has retired in active employment service in the public or private sectors. The Elderly may still be engaged in employment terms but mostly on part-time basis, on consultation or on self-employment. The Elderly according to the Constitution of the Retired and Elderly Catholics Association in Tanzania (TEC 2022) include a man and a woman who is 50 years of age and above.

By 2023, on one hand, it has been observed in all dioceses in Tanzania that the absolute number of the Elderly Roman Catholics has been increasing and this is due to good health and better livelihood activities. On the other hand, some of the elderly do not understand that old age is a natural phenomenon. This calls for firm and collaborative efforts by the Church in general to have strategies to engender the growing large group of Elders in Wisdom and Love. Indeed, cancelling to the old people is needed. 

The retired elderly who were on pay roll are receiving a pension from pension schemes. Most of the time, the received pension may not be adequate to warrant a moderate good life. They need to supplement their pension through livelihood activities. Those who are not on any pension scheme need to be engaged on part-time employment or self-employment. Overall, this calls for the Elderly to discuss among themselves on how to engage oneself in livelihood activities for the purpose of attaining a good life in old age. The elderly need to know that they have to continue performing a hobby and carry out economic, social, and spiritual activities. However, the elderly have to scale down the number of acuities they have to perform because they also need to rest and recreate from time to time.

This information is not reserved for members of the Association in Tanzania alone; but it is addressing anyone interested in the problems of the Elderly and willing to build a more fraternal and inclusive world, where everyone finds his place and respecting the dignity of every man and woman.

The Retired and Aged Catholics Association of Tanzania is aging but a modern and timely movement for men and women with a new and enriching vision. It was started in 1988 and has spread to all 34 dioceses in Tanzania. It is an Association that calls for enabling the senior citizens to share their precious life experience, wisdom and love, thus helping them to live a truly meaningful, useful and happy life.

The objectives of the Association 

The objectives of the Retired and Aged Catholics Association of Tanzania include among others to: 

• Unite the aged and retired Roman Catholics in order to promote good fellowships, social contact and understanding of democratic rights among the aged and retired Catholics.
• Promote and protect political and economic rights of aged and retired Catholics and to ensure recognition of these rights by the Church and Government.
• Put in place the procedures to be followed to alleviate suffering inflicted upon age or retired individuals in the society.
• Create activities that shall improve the physical, spiritual and economic quality of life of the aged and retired Catholics in the society.
• Disseminate information to Elderly Catholics.

• Encourage collective entrepreneurial activities among the Elderly to increase their financial power in society.
• Promote activities that shall improve and strengthen good social morality among children and the youth in the community.

The need to engage the Elderly in Evangelization 

“The Elderly are the light of the world” (‘Wazee in Nuru ya Ulimwengu’ in Kiswahili (Mathew: 5:14). The Elderly have attained a lot of experience and wisdom from many walks of life in society. They have acquired knowledge, perseverance, skills, spiritual and mental advancement which they can pass over to the younger generations (and to themselves) to continue with advancement and welfare of society, spiritually, physically and materially (economically). Above all, the “World we Want” needs Elderly who are competent agents of evangelization on the true values of life, creation, nature, adhering to spiritual values and worship of the true God by accepting his love and commandments which lead humanity to perfection and holiness. ‘

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven (Mather: 5:16)

In addition, the older generation has the time (in retirement), to think, mediate, and seek ways of transmitting the true word of God from holy books, tradition, culture, and lives of the patriarchs. In order to carry out the evangelization message, the Elderly need the attention and care of the Civil Society and the Ecclesial Community. They should be recognized and accepted to participate in the affairs of community and society and (in the church). Indeed, the Elderly are the treasure of the Church. Above all, the Elderly should not be separated from the community and denied health, economic, and welfare facilities; but they should be supported and encouraged to live with dignity, freedom and justice.

Work done by the Association todate

Major activities that have been carried out since the formation of the Association in 1988; are: 

• Have managed to form a Constitution for the operations of the Association that have been endorsed by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC);
• Have united the Elderly and Retired in all Dioceses from the level of Community, Parish, Diocesan, Zonal and National levels;
• Have provided opportunities to members to devote their time and energy towards spiritual, religious and moral activities including prayers and pilgrimages for the purpose of attaining saintly;
• Have helped the members attain opportunities for prayers and contemplations and inner enjoyment of the treasures of the Roman Catholic faith;
• Have assisted the Elderly to expect longer living, happier and holier lives through casting off fear, loneliness, helplessness and passivity;  
• Have been teaching different groups and themselves on many relevant topics through National, Zonal, Diocesan and Parish level seminars; and 
• The elderly have been assisted to acquire health insurance and are receiving community services the Church.
• Have conducted meetings as prescribed in the Constitution of the Association  

Members of the National Committee who attended the 2023 Annual General Meeting in Singida 

Pictures by Raphael Malale

Challenges

There are some challenges that hinder the good performance of the Association; they include among others: 

• Inadequate resources including office space for the Association at the different levels;
• Many of the Elderly of the Association are low-income Catholics and thus inclined to material and temporal facilities;
• Apathy among members that they can do nothing as retired and elderly ;
• Poor notion that the Association will solve the financial problems of the seniors; 
• Inadequate support in evangelization work; and
• Inadequate strategic mechanisms to enable the Association towards the establishment of viable economic and social initiatives that would support the activities of the Elderly.

Way forward

Despite of the challenges mentioned above, good progress has been realised in Tanzania where the Retired and Elderly Catholics Association of Tanzania forms one of the four major associations affiliated to the Church springing from the local community, Parish, Diocese, Zonal and up to the National level. However, there are several major intervention areas that need closer attention of the Association in order to heighten its activities; these, include:

• Conducting more community prayers, dialogues, leadership seminars and carrying out visits at zonal, national and international levels in order to inculcate all the objectives of the Association;
• Strengthening the Association at the community level in the Parishes and Dioceses;
• Celebrating weekly mass for the elderly every Thursday morning in all Parishes,
• Celebrating annual mass to commemorate Saint Augustin,  the Guardian of the Association;
• Establishing strategies for economically empowering the Association through self-supporting activities; 
• Establishing links/networks between the Retired and Aged Catholics Association of Tanzania and other Communities or Associations serving the Elderly within and outside Tanzania.
• Spreading the Association to all Anglo African countries apart from Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi; 
• Continue to forge networks with the World VMI for the purpose of sharing experiences and support; and establishing National Newsletter for the Association.

Prof. Alphonce Kyessi

Deputy National Chairperson

Retired and Elderly Catholics Association in Tanzania