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Birthday girl, Mama Tiga |
Charlestown Nevis (November 14, 2006) The mother of St. John's Community, Mrs. Maude Victoria Drew, celebrated her 103rd birthday on Monday in the company of government ministers, staff of the Gender and Social Affairs Department as well as family and friends.
Mrs. Drew, known as "Mama Tiga" was born on November 13, 1903 and is the third female on the island to attain the age of 103.
Her counterparts, Ms Eltruder Caines and Ms Albertha Payne made 103 earlier this year.
Known to the communities of Brown Pasture, Burden Pasture, Morning Star and Cole Hill, Mama Tega spent her youthful years mothering most of the children of those communities while they parents went to work.
She gave birth to 11 children of whom, eight are still alive.
"Mrs. Drew was really the mother, not just the mother of the natural children but the whole of Brown Pasture children," said the Hon. Hensley Daniel, Minister of Gender and Social Affairs during the brief ceremony held in her honour.
"In the 40's and 50's, many of the parents left their children here as they went to the land to
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Minister of Health and Social Affairs, the Hon. Hensley Daniel with flowers for Mrs. Drew in honour of her 103 birthday. |
work and some people ended up staying, so she ended up raising a number of children in addition to her own, so may be this is a good thing and maybe the Lord has rewarded her with long years as a result of having gone outside of her usual family circle to add care and direction to others."
The Social Affairs Minister, who is also the Area Representative, recalled being present for the last six years to celebrate each successive birthday with Mrs. Drew.
He also recalled when he wished her a happy 99th birthday and had expressed the view that he expected her to make the 100 mark and also expected her not to do like the West Indies Cricket players, 'when they make 100, them out.'
~~Adz:Left~~In presenting the token of appreciation to Mrs. Drew's daughter on behalf of the Premier, the Hon. Joseph Parry and other Ministers of the Nevis Island Administration and also the Community of St. John's, Minister Daniel paid tribute to her grandchildren for the excellent care they have been giving to their grandmother.
There were a number of other tributes in her honour including congratulatory messages from Mrs. Patricia Hanley, Health Advisor in the NIA, the St. John's Primary School, the Red Cross and the Shiloh Baptist Church.