Widowed mama-grannies buffering HIV/AIDS affected households in a city slum of Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

This article explores the experiences, challenges and coping strategies of urban elderly residents in Kasubi-Kawaala, a slum on the margins of Kampala city, Uganda. The city is mainly stereotyped as a space for able-bodied individuals able to hustle, innovatively compete for limited resources, and accrue themselves benefits. It is widely assumed that old age causes people to retire to rural areas. Thus, the ‘urban elderly’ present an anomaly. Yet, they play a very significant role in the city. Many support dependent grandchildren, many of whom have been orphaned by AIDS.