Having worked as a community development practitioner for the past 15 years, working and engaging with the socially excluded and marginalised members of society, especially older persons made me develop an interest in issues affecting elderly people in Botswana and their welfare hence the emanating of my Master’s thesis topic which explored the lived experiences of the elderly people living alone in rural communities in Botswana. This research area is closer to my heart as I was raised by grandparents who ensured that I had a better upbringing while my mother migrated to the city in search for better life opportunities to sustain the family. I could see the hardship of life my grandparents had to endure every day.

Elderly people in Botswana, play a vital role as they are the contributors to the development and stability of the society. They contribute to the society financially and in many ways their experiences, wisdom and knowledge assist in building the nation yet their quality of life is still low when compared to the general population. Most of the elderly persons in Botswana, like in many African countries, reside in rural areas.  Rural areas are characterised by poor and inadequate housing structures, poor nutrition, water problems, low income levels, poor transport and communication facilities. Some of the elderly persons are self-reliant and well-off, however, the majorities are struggling to sustain themselves, while some are extremely poor. The assumption in Botswana, like in many African countries, is the expectation of the family to take care of their elderly relatives. Yet economic and social forces have influenced the family unit to transform from being collective to individualistic. It has also forced the able-bodied persons who are supposed to care for the elderly persons to migrate to urban areas in search for better life opportunities. This has resulted in elderly persons living alone over an extended period and this appears to be challenging and worrisome given the demands that are brought about by old age.

As I was pursuing my masters, I realised that they was little information written about elderly people especially those living alone in rural areas in Botswana. I felt sharing or publishing my findings will contribute more knowledge to better understand issues that affect older persons and also provide useful information that could assist policy makers in formulation of public policies for elderly persons. As currently there is no comprehensive policy that deals or is focusing on the situation of older persons and how best to address their circumstances and conditions to enable them to live a meaningful life. Lack of comprehensive policy in Botswana that guide’s assistance to the elderly persons made it hard to meet the welfare needs of the elderly persons. Also sharing their lived experiences will enable practitioners in the areas of social security and protection to gain an insights on best practices in working with elderly people.