Elderly & youth
The theme of this year’s 24th commemoration of the International Day of Older Persons (1 October) is “Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a Society for All”
The Ministry of Social Services gathered the elderly as they brought the month of the elderly to a close with an Elderly Retreat conducted at the Montserrat Cultural Centre, as they celebrate the theme for, “leaving no one behind”.
The event was held yesterday, Thursday, October 30, 2014 with Mrs. Meredith Blake as chairperson, which lasted from 9.30 a.m. through prayers, remarks, entertainment, guest speakers and lunch served at mid-day.
- C. Fr. George Agger led with reflections (on a 400-year prayer of a nun found in Germany) and prayers, followed by welcoming remarks by Director of Social Services, Mrs. Teresena Fergus.
Mrs Fergus informed that the day was chosen to pay the seniors tribute as part of the ‘Month of the Elderly’. “It is through your hard work dedication and perseverance to family and community why we the younger generation have the opportunity to enjoy a better standard of living,” she said reassuring that at the ministry, “We make every effort not to leave any of you behind. We will take into consideration your welfare your best interest, guard you against abuse unfair treatment and ensure that your wellbeing is cared for and have enough to live on.”
The Honourable Minister Delmaude Ryan in brief remarks began by remembering that she was raised by her grandmother, “and from her training up and her bringing up, there are many things that I’ve learnt to cherish about the elderly,” she said. She mentioned also having had the chance “to work and support my great grandmother in Canada who was an amputee,” leaving her with a deep passion for “persons especially the elderly who are disabled.”
She spoke of a further need to “ensure that all of our elderly are not left behind, especially who are disabled, those who are in wheel chairs, “are not able to join you who are here today to celebrate as we pull down the curtain on the month of the elderly.” That, she said is something that “we are passionately working and those in the Association for Disabled Persons have already shared with me the specifications to have such a vehicle so they can be part of the process and entertainment and activities such as these.”
She also called on everyone to please take time out for our elderly. Our elderly is our whole community
responsibility. “…not just to send soaps on Christmas day, not just to send the toilet papers but actually paying a visit, go to someone’s home…let the day of the elderly, be a year of the elderly where we celebrate the love and the contribution of all of our older people in Montserrat,” Minister Delmaude Ryan endorsed.
Following entertainment by the duo Winspeare and Morson, on the mouthorgan and guitar, Retired Principal nursing officer, Sister Nurse Valerie Lewis-Lynch, currently president of the Diabetes Association was the first of two guest speakers. Her task was to give some inspirational encouragement, to all who she said were, “all dressed up and looking very good.” She conducted an interactive exercise where she sought the commonality among everyone resent, that being, “the aging process,” no one ever asks, “how young are you?” but rather as everyone offered, “how old are you?”, after hearing suggestions such as love, life, etc. She suggested that “we are survivors, having survived diseases and disasters…and that helps us to live longer, makes us more mature, makers us stronger, wiser and makes us understand what matters in life.”
Mr. Eugene Skerritt, former Permanent Secretary, lover of farming, older persons, etc. took the gathering down memory lane, taking them back to the days before ‘klim”. “You have given us so much for us to talk about leaving anyone behind.” “Does anyone remember, black soap and blue soap?” as the response echoed, “yes,” as he continued to the same response. “Dungaree and hard khaki, scrubbing board, roll cocoa, sugar, molasses and sling, bub, cussada (cassava), pepper sauce of all kinds, milk in the rum bottles, the goose (for ironing), bay rum and the other special rums, cockroach that use to play music, (to great laughter), bush tea of all kinds. It was then they introduced klim, which introduced other problems, (going to school). Music was an important part of village life, so they remembered the string band, jumbie dance and the jumbie table, bring memory of family life. As he brought them to the modern day reminding, “we need to tell of our stories,” not to be ashamed and forget.
“We have become too busy. Do we give thanks? Families must come, when you can’t see them, change the mentality to ensure that we are there for you when you can appreciate it.”
Skerritt brought down the curtain with Beverly West-Joseph from the Ministry then dishing out the thanks to all who participated in making the morning enjoyable.
So ended a month which involved, Visit to Sankofa Health & Wellness Garden, Radio programs – Talking Health, Dementia in the Elderly; Church service – St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Visits to Margetson Memorial Home and Golden Years Home with the Montserrat Evergreen Senior Citizens Club and a Penny Concert at the Lookout Community centre.
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