Ageing with Wisdom empowers the elderly in Region E

Ageing with Wisdom Forum in Region E is determined to promote the development and overall well-being of the elderly in Alexandra.

Itumeleng Maloka

April 25, 2025

Alexandra senior residents attend an elderly empowerment event.

Ageing With Wisdom Forum has taken a bold step to empower the residents of Alexandra who are in their golden years.
The forum recently hosted a skills development event at the Methodist Church in Alexandra on April 22.

Moses Maimela, the chairperson of the forum in Region E said with the recent meeting, they aimed to impact the lives of the elderly positively by teaching them various skills that they can use to advance their lives.

Forum members following the successful event.

“In today’s meeting, we were brought together by the Methodist Church to empower the elderly as a forum. It was to show them how exercises are done, knitting, crocheting, and painting, so that they get used to it,” he said.

Maimela added this was to ensure that they taught the elderly about the importance of keeping active, and give them necessary skills they needed to avoid being idle at home.

Besides the skills development programmes, the forum hosts regular ‘healthy lifestyle walks’ in collaboration with the city of Johannesburg (CoJ). “We also do a healthy lifestyle walk for 3km and 5km for those who can. However, it only happens on specific days. We host it together with CoJ. We approach them and they make the necessary arrangements with the relevant authorities, such as the JMPD.”

Elderly residents after the enlightening meeting.

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This falls under the mandate of the Department of Social Development, and it is articulated in the Johannesburg Older Persons Policy 2024, which, among others, seeks to promote the development and overall well-being of elderly persons.

The forum also helps those who are unable to access the South African Social Security Agency or Home Affairs services to apply for identity documents, passports and more.

Looking ahead, he said, plans were underway to revive their monthly soup kitchen.

Ageing with Wisdom Forum members outside the Methodist Church.

“Every month, we used to make food for them, including bread, soup, rice, and soya mince. The elderly get fatigued and could faint when they are in the queue waiting for their pension grant. So, we would cook food and dish it out to them while they were waiting. This is what we intended to revive.”

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