As the UN marks its 10th international day for older persons, the BBC's James Copnall talks to the elderly in southern Sudan - where anyone over the age of 50 is considered old.
Wani, who is 65, says getting old is far from easy. "We don't have houses, we don't have food, we’re suffering. If God gives me a little, I eat. But I struggle to feed my grandchildren."
Southern Sudan has a very young population. Many adults died during two decades of civil war, while there is little healthcare available in most of the region.
Older people are traditionally well respected in their communities, and are often called on to mediate in ethnic conflicts. But their importance is diminishing as the role of the state expands.
Marcelina Denya, 67, says it is shameful to live as she and her fellow old people do. Her pension is $50 a month, so she works to earn extra money growing okra and making biscuits.
The Southern Sudan Older People's Organisation organises training in sewing for elderly people who need money as well as those young people caring for older relatives.
During the civil war Peter Lako was recruited to fight at the age of 14. Now he is trying to learn a trade to earn the money to support his mother.
Kuol Damiano is 73 and fighting fit. He still works in his fields, planting groundnuts and sorghum. But he is worried about the next harvest. "This year there is no rain, I don't know what I will do," he says.
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