1.   WHO WE ARE:-

''TOP'' - The Tanzania Older People`s Platform is a NETWORK of older people's rights organisations so far bringing together 15 of them country wide and directly representing  nearly 2.1 milion older people in Tanzania.

''TOP aims to voice  and promote the interests of all older people in Tanzania (i.e.peasants,retired employees,headsmen,fishermen etc) who the government in the National Ageing Policy Statement para 3.3 corectly realizes them to be an important resource  thet needs to be taped for the developmentof the national.TOP membership is composed of Age-Care NGOs and CSOs working with  and for older people, to give a strong and credible voice to their; rights( human,basic, and legal);and needs.The founder members of TOP are the following:-

1. Saidia Wazee Tanzania - Dodoma (SAWATA DODOMA) for Dodoma Region.
2. Chama cha Wazee Wastaafu Lindi (CHAWALI) for Lindi region
3. Chama cha Wazee Wastaafu Mtwara (CHAWAMU) for Mtwara rgion.
4. Chama cha wazee Wastaafu Arusha (for Arusha region.
5. Saidia Wazee Karagwe(SAWAKA) for Kagera region.
6. Saidia Wazee Tanzania- Kasuru(SAWATA- KASULU) for Kigoma region.
7. Songea Older People's Forum (SOPF) for Ruvuma region.
8. PADI for Ruvuma region.
9. Saidia Wazee Tanzania - Mara (SAWATA -MARA) for Mara Region
10. SHISO for Iringa region.
11. MOrogoro Elderly People's Organization (MOREPEO) for Morogoro region
12. TEWOREC for Tanga region.
13. Social Action Concern (SCAN) for Dar-es-salaam region.
14. MAPERECE for Mwanza region.
15. IRAHOPEGA for Singida region.
16. AFRIWARG for Muheza Tanga.

2.   BACKGROUND:-

 TOP was set up in May 2008 following  a process of discussion among active age care organizations who felt the need to improve service delivery and strengthen cooperation among themselves in the form of Coalition whose main goal will be  to raise awareness of older people`s ageing issues that concern  them most. Prior to this there was a national society  for older people called "SAIDIA WAZEE TANZANIA" or ( SAWATA). Unfortunately this Civic Society  Organization could give a strong  and credible voice  to older people`s ageing issues, views ,interests and needs. For that reason a caucus  of mainly newly formed  or reformed age - care organizations  which have been formed following the formulation  of the National Ageing Policy in 2003, resolved to replace SAWATA national  age- care society  and formed another in its place called - The Tanzania National Age- care Organization (acronyme TANACO).But alas; due lack of clear  Vision  and mission for this organization, on the one hand ,and selfishness  and self esteem  tendenciesassumed  by the incumbent  TANACO leadership, on the hand , TANACO found itself virtually unable to deliver any meaning service  to a to and for older people. In May 2008, group of 8 active  age care organizations  working for older people  in the serior of Rights  ( human basic , and legal rights)  for older people (specifically  widows and widowers) resolved  to form  a Coalition  or Network which they termed  - " MTANDAO WA  HAKI  ZA WAZEE TANZANIA" ( acronymed "MTAHAWATA") for aim of using this coalition/network to consolidate  the achievements  they have already  made in service delivery  to older people  and also to strengthen their joint capacity requirement  for developing possibly  an expanded  programme  in their sector  of interest.By November  2008 this move  had attracted 7 other active age care organizations, raising the number  of MTAHAWATA  founding members  to 15. And in  December 2008 , when these age care organizations  were gathered  in Dodoma for  an annual  review meeting , they resolved  to expand  the interests  of MTAHAWATA  and re-named  the coalition /Network  to be  - The Tanzania Older People`s Platform (acronymed  "TOP") . And the the expanded interests  were defined to be  as follows:-

• To raise awareness  at National level of the opportunity  and challenges that arise  from ageing of our society.
• To shape appropriate  policy responses in the interest of older people.
• To promote the interests and involvement of older people in the development of our nation.

1. WHO WE ARE: -

'' TOP'' - Tanzania Wazee Watu `s Jukwaa ni mtandao wa wazee wa mashirika ya haki za hadi sasa kuleta pamoja kati yao 15 nchi nzima na moja kwa moja anayewakilisha watu karibu milioni 2.1 wakubwa katika Tanzania.

'' TOP inalenga kutoa sauti na kukuza maslahi ya watu wote wakubwa katika Tanzania (iepeasants, mstaafu wafanyakazi, headsmen, wavuvi nk) ambao serikali katika Taarifa ya Taifa En bra Sera para 3.3 corectly anatambua kuwa wao ni muhimu rasilimali thet haja ya kuwa na taped kwa developmentof uanachama national.TOP kinaundwa na NGOs Umri-Care na asasi za kiraia na kufanya kazi na kwa wazee, kutoa sauti kwa nguvu na kuaminika kwa zao; haki (za binadamu, msingi, na kisheria); na mwanzilishi needs.The wanachama wa TOP ni yafuatayo: -

1. Saidia Wazee Tanzania - Dodoma (SAWATA DODOMA) kwa ajili ya Mkoa wa Dodoma.
2. Chama cha Wazee Wastaafu Lindi (CHAWALI) kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Lindi
3. Chama cha Wazee Wastaafu Mtwara (CHAWAMU) kwa ajili ya Mtwara rgion.
4. Chama cha Wazee Wastaafu Arusha (kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Arusha.
5. Saidia Wazee Karagwe (SAWAKA) kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Kagera.
6. Saidia Wazee Tanzania-Kasuru (SAWATA-Kasulu) kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Kigoma.
7. Forum Songea Wazee ya Watu (SOPF) kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Ruvuma.
8. Padi kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Ruvuma.
9. SHISO kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Iringa.
10. Shirika Morogoro Wazee wa Watu wa (MOREPEO) kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Morogoro
11. TEWOREC kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Tanga.
12. Social Action Concern (Scan) kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Dar-es-salaam.
13. MAPERECE kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Mwanza.
14. IRAHOPEGA kwa ajili ya mkoa wa Singida.

2 UTANGULIZI:. -