A comparative Study of Survival Strategies used by the Aged in Rural and Urban Areas: A case of Chongwe and Lusaka Districts

Abstract

For many years, studies to do with the aged and how they survive ‘economically’, were enshrined in mystery and stereotype. As a result of that, many old people in Zambia have been subjected to abuse and destitution; which is partially attributed to lack of systematic studies that would elucidate facts about the aged. It is for this reason that this study was instituted. The study comprised of 97 senior citizens who were purposively selected from Chongwe and Lusaka Districts. 84 senior citizens were subjected to a structured interview, while 13 participated in the two focus group discussions. Therefore, structured interview guides and two focus group discussions were used to collect data in Chongwe and Lusaka Districts. The study established that several types of survival strategies were used by the aged in rural and urban areas. The findings revealed that senior citizens in Chongwe and Lusaka Districts were involved in trade men and women. Others depended on their extended family members for support and care. This was the case for majority of the respondents from Chongwe District compared to their counterparts in Lusaka. There were a number of senior citizens who were also assisted financially and materially by local churches, charitable organizations and well wishers within and outside their communities. Although majority senior citizens were business men and women, their businesses, according to the finding, were not capital intensive, hence less lucrative. Consequently, majority senior citizens in the two Districts resorted to eating once or twice a day in order to conserve food for subsequent days. The situation was exacerbated further in Lusaka, as opposed to Chongwe, because senior citizens there had a lot of dependents. As a result and except for a few most of the aged scraped a living on less than a dollar per day in the two districts.