Pensioning in Ethiopia: No country for old men
A country’s ability to take care of its needy people speaks volumes about its well being than mere numbers
Mahlet Fasil & Kalkidan Yibeltal
A pensioner for 23 years, Getahun Assefa, 83, of the former Imperial Guard, recalls nostalgically the days when it was possible to get by with his meager retirement benefit of less than US$20 (342 birr), small as it was. But the soaring cost of living in the past couple of years has made it almost impossible to make his ends met. Trying to lead a family of four (his wife and three children) with his retirement money means Getahun’s life is marked by a struggle for survival on a daily base. If he is to lead a somewhat dignified life, the government needs to “increase my pay”, he told Addis Standard.
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