At HelpAge USA, we are part of a global network working together to improve older people’s rights, dignity, and wellbeing.
But what does that actually look like on the ground?
In Uganda, it looks like a fashion runway filled with older models showcasing their style. It looks like young people sitting beside elders around a fire, listening to stories about loss, hope, and resilience. It looks like community health screenings, digital literacy workshops, and conversations that challenge the idea that aging means fading away.
This is Threads of Legacy—a new campaign led by our global network partner, the HelpAge Advocacy Network Uganda (HANU)—that offers a powerful example of how local leadership can transform the way societies see and value people as we age.
Reclaiming the narrative of aging
Uganda is one of the world’s youngest countries, yet the number of people aged 60+ is rising quickly—from about 2.3 million today to an estimated 6 million by 2050. Many older Ugandans face isolation, poverty, and age-related discrimination, despite their enormous social and economic contributions. Threads of Legacy is designed to position older people not as recipients of care, but as artists, mentors, models, and changemakers—blending modern creative arts with traditional African practices to create spaces where generations meet as collaborators.
The campaign brings together eight Ugandan organizations, artists, health workers, youth leaders, and—most importantly—older people, with key activities such as:
- Koi Koi Fireside Conversations: Intimate, culture-rooted dialogues where elders and youth share stories about character, change, and resilience, streamed on digital platforms to reach new audiences.
- Senior Citizens Workshops: Practical sessions on financial literacy, digital safety, health, and nutrition so older people can claim their rights and navigate a changing world.
- Community Medical Camp: Free screenings and support for non-communicable diseases, eye care, and caregiver training.
- Threads of Legacy Fashion Show: A runway featuring at least 30 older models alongside youth, celebrating “Vintage Steeze” and the timeless style of older generations.
The power of the global network
HANU was formed in 2024 as a coalition of Ugandan civil society organizations committed to older people’s rights. Through the HelpAge global network, their work is connected to advocates in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the United States—people facing different contexts but the same question: How do we build societies where aging is valued?
Threads of Legacy offers one answer. It shows that change begins with older people at the center and illustrates the power of locally led action to create societal shifts.
When an older woman in Kampala walks a runway with pride, when a young man hears his grandmother’s story in a new way, or when a community chooses openness over stereotypes—that is the meaning of working together to value older people as equals.
And that is the future we are building, alongside partners like HANU, every day.
Follow Threads of Legacy
The campaign culminates on February 14, 2026, linking the themes of love and care with the right of every older person to health, participation, and dignity. Watch the Fireside Conversations on YouTube and join the conversation on social media with #ThreadsOfLegacy.