September 5th, 2025 marked a pivotal moment in Uganda’s approach to aging and social security as the Kaka Proud Legends Initiative (KPLI) hosted the Community and Partners Convening on Aging and Social Security 2025. The event brought together stakeholders, community leaders, healthcare providers, and advocates to address the unique challenges faced by aging marginalized populations across Uganda.

Launching Solutions: The Karibuni Legends Care Guide

The convening’s centerpiece was the official launch of the Karibuni Legends Care Guide, a groundbreaking resource developed specifically for older marginalized persons in Uganda. The guide, meaning “welcome” in Swahili, represents a comprehensive approach to inclusive care that addresses the intersection of aging, marginalization, and healthcare access.

The manual provides practical tools for caregivers and service providers working with elderly persons who face multiple forms of exclusion. The guide addresses critical gaps in Uganda’s healthcare system, where older persons often receive limited prioritization despite growing demographic needs.

The manual covers essential areas including:

• Age-inclusive healthcare spaces: Practical checklists and strategies for making healthcare facilities welcoming to older persons
• Cultural barrier navigation: Addressing stigma, ageism, and discrimination that prevent healthcare access
• Basic healthcare knowledge: Training non-professional caregivers in vital signs monitoring, illness recognition, and emergency response
• Technology skills: Teaching older persons essential digital literacy for health and safety
• Terminal illness and palliative care: Compassionate end-of-life support for marginalized communities
• Social-economic empowerment: Retirement preparation and accessing social security programs like SAGE

Documentary Premiere Highlights Lived Realities

The convening also featured the preview of “The Plight of Aging Key Populations in Uganda 2025”, a documentary that captures the lived experiences of older marginalized persons across the country. The film provides crucial context for understanding why specialized resources like the Care Guide are necessary.

According to KPLI’s needs assessment data highlighted in the guide, the documentary explored how:

• 1 in 4 older persons in marginalized communities lack employment
• 6 in 10 are aging with chronic diseases including hypertension, HIV, and psychiatric conditions
• 60% are renting accommodation while 6% experience homelessness
• 53% live alone, often without family support systems

Bridging Policy and Practice

The Care Guide strategically aligns with existing national frameworks while addressing their limitations. It complements:

• Uganda Clinical Guidelines (2023): By providing age-tailored service delivery approaches
• Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) program: By addressing social inclusion beyond financial support
• National Development Plan III (NDP III): Supporting human capital development and universal health coverage goals
• Sustainable Development Goals: Particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

Community-Led Solutions

What distinguishes this initiative is its community-led approach. KPLI, established in 2021, has grown to serve over 190 marginalized older persons across Mityana, Kampala, Wakiso, Masaka, Mpigi, and Mukono districts. The organization’s programs include:

• Legends Rejuvenation Hub: A drop-in center offering healthcare, psychosocial support, and HIV prevention
• Legends Klatches: Peer support gatherings fostering social connection
• Cheer Up a Legend: Community initiatives reducing isolation among older persons

Call for Systemic Change

The convening represented more than just a resource launch—it was a call for systemic transformation in how Uganda approaches aging among marginalized populations. The Care Guide specifically challenges healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities to “reject ageism in all its forms” and create systems that treat older persons with urgency, respect, and care.

As noted in the guide’s foreword, “Inclusion is not an act of charity; it is a matter of justice.”

Looking Forward

The Community and Partners Convening on Aging and Social Security 2025 has set the stage for continued advocacy and action. With the Karibuni Legends Care Guide now available as a free resource for social skilling of caregivers, and the documentary providing visual testimony to the challenges faced, stakeholders have concrete tools to drive change.

KPLI has expressed hope that the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and Uganda National Council for Older Persons (UNCOP) will recognize and adopt the guide as part of national geriatric care planning.

The convening’s message was clear: Uganda’s aging marginalized populations cannot continue to be overlooked. With community-led solutions like the Karibuni Legends Care Guide, there is a path forward toward inclusive, dignified aging for all.

The Karibuni Legends Care Guide is available for free download and is intended for social skilling of caregivers working with elderly marginalized communities in Uganda. For suggestions and input, contact [email protected]

About Kaka Proud Legends Initiative: Established in 2021, KPLI is a community-led organization advancing the dignity, health, and well-being of middle-aged and elderly marginalized persons in Uganda, with particular focus on high-risk communities and individuals aging with HIV and other vulnerabilities.