Understanding resilience in later life in a low resource setting

It is estimated that close to 60 percent of the urban population in Kenya live in slums and informal settlements and the number of slum dwellers continues to grow at a fast pace. One of the key development goals is to reduce urban poverty and improve the lives of slum dwellers. The majority of the population in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa including Nairobi are of working age. However recent research highlights that a growing number of migrants are choosing to age 'in situ', resulting in an increase in the number of older people living in slum areas. Ageing in urban areas of developing countries can be challenging particularly given the lack of formal social support systems for the aged coupled with employability in the urban economy which is notably problematic for older people. Furthermore, the capacity of the family to contribute to the wellbeing of older persons may be weakened both by migratory moves and the daily challenge of life in the slum. Given this context, it is crucial to understand how older people in low-resource settings adapt, their resourcefulness in maximising on the available social capital and how this translates to better health and socio-economic outcomes and overall wellbeing. The proposed study will use recently available panel data to investigate the health and socio-economic trajectories of a cohort of people aged 50 and over living in two Nairobi slums to shed light on the factors that are associated with successful ageing in such a setting. The study will apply mixed methodology and advanced statistical approaches to understand the interplay between individual inherent characteristics and external protective factors such as social or family networks, household attributes, and how these interact with shocks, stressors and adverse life-course events to influence individuals' vulnerability or resilience in experiencing negative outcomes. In-depth cross-case analysis using qualitative techniques will be used to triangulate the findings from the statistical analysis and provide comprehensive understanding of the processes through which older people navigate risks, opportunities and [lack of] choices in mitigating shocks and adverse life events. This research provides the basis for understanding resilience factors among older people and how they might be supported to maximise on existing opportunities and social capital amidst shocks or stresses as well as other life-course events that would potentially impact negatively on their health and socio-economic wellbeing. Findings from the study will be valuable in informing developmental policies designed to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of poor people. In particular, the study will highlight the situation of older people living in urban slums in sub-Saharan Africa, a group that is largely invisible in the development discourse and research focusing on the region.