Aili Kogerman, Estonia
In Estonia 290000 people get old age pensions. In 2002 the average pension was 1841 kroons ( 120 EURO). The average gross wages in 2002 were 6110 kroons (394 EURO), of wich the net salary is 4512 kroons ( 291 EURO). The correlation between the average pension and the average net wages was 0,39.
The pensions are indexed - every year on April 1 the pension rices according to the social tax paid in and the index of the consuption price. (In this year the average pension rices 136 kroons - (8,77 EURO)
The pensions are low, but the problem of social exclusion is much more important.
In this presentation several self help projects of elderly people in Estonia will be discussed In Estonia are ca 100 day centers for elderly. 25 % of pensioners are activ now, the others 25 % are interested in active selfhelp work.
We have contacts with government and local administrations The motive our self-help work is:
Be active, come out of the house, find a suitable occupation for yourself and you will be healthy and joiful
Our self-help projects:
# We help each other on the principle of the stronger helping the weaker
# We help find home helps and home nurses
# We teach simple ways of movement - activity helps the elderly
# We develop friendly co-operation between generations:
the support study of schoolchildren
collecting memoirs in the internet together with schoolchildren
project "The dwarfs come to help" - young people with mental disabilities help elderly people at home.
# We support activities in the country
# We arrange traynings and seminars
# We collect memoirs of the elders and find ways for their publication
It is always possible to put good ideas into practice