Namara
Arthur Araali
Founder of Health Nest Uganda
Namara Arthur Araali holds a Master’s Degree in Gerontology from Southampton University in the UK and is a Member of the Uganda National Council for Older Persons where he chairs a Research and Documentation Committee.
Namara is also a scientist working with Medical Research Council/London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at Uganda Virus Research Institute where he heads a project looking at Gestational Diabetes.
He is a founder of HENU (Health Nest Uganda), an NGO that works for and with older persons in Uganda. The Organisation is a network member of HelpAge International.
Supported by the Constellation, he successfully introduced Community Life competence Approach to issues of ageing in Uganda. The approach aims at promoting community self-reliance by stimulating older persons to appreciate their strengths/capacities and actively participate in addressing issues relating to their wellbeing rather than being passive recipients of care.
He is also one of the authors of the Social Gerontology Training Manual published by Uganda Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development in 2013 for community workers to assess and address issues of older persons in the community using the Easy Care Assessment Tool.
Namara has mobilised and facilitated the creation of Older Persons groups in Entebbe Sub-district that brings older persons together to discuss issues concerning their wellbeing on Nutrition, Sanitation, Regular exercises and Regular Medical checkups.
As a consultant gerontologist, he was hired by the Government of Uganda to gather views of older persons on the Act for Older Persons aimed at protecting their rights. It is now before Parliament.
Namara has constructed an inter-generational centre, known as the Wisdom Centre, where the young and old will always meet to learn from each other with an aim of bridging the inter-generational gap.
He is also part of Entebbe Sub-District COVID-19 task force where, together with his team, he has managed to reach out to over 2000 older persons with relief items.