Elders to showcase talent in Elderly Month
By Melissa Bryant
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Right~~ BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OCTOBER marks the celebration of Elderly Month in St. Kitts and Nevis, a Ministry of Social and Community Development initiative that seeks to appreciate and acknowledge the island’s seniors.
The United Nations designated October 1 as the International Day for the Elderly, but the Ministry has taken the idea one step further and declared that the entire month would be dedicated to the elderly citizens of the twin-island Federation.
However, a misconception exists that the elderly are weak and feeble-minded and this project aims to disprove that belief.
The theme for this year’s event is “Rights of Older Persons – The Elderly, Our Nation’s Priority”, and as of next week, Parliamentary Representatives for each Constituency will visit the oldest person in their respective district.
On October 18 there will be a Dinner and Ball at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel and Casino, and a Picnic will be held on October 23 at the St. Paul’s Playing Field to facilitate interaction among the country’s elders.
“Many elders don’t get the chance to go out and interact unless their family helps them to do so. All these activities have been designed to ensure that our seniors have the opportunity to mingle with each other,” said Jovil Martin, Director of Social and Community Development.
There will be a Concert on October 26, where the old and the young will together display their talent in skits, songs, poetry, among other activities.
Martin spoke to the importance of the month-long programme and requested the community support.
“People in our society are living longer than ever and we must become more attuned to the needs of the elderly. They are people just like us and they do the same things that we do, only at a slower pace.
“We must look at what mechanisms and structures we can implement so that people can live comfortable, decent lives once they arrive at a certain age. Things, such as businesses having special chairs and queues for seniors, are ideas that we should look at.”
Activities for the Month of the Elderly will conclude on October 31 with an Elderly March, where the elders, in the company of students from the island’s various schools, will walk from the tamarind tree at Greenlands to Independence Square.
Upon their arrival, the marchers will be treated to an arts and craft exhibition, where all the displayed work will be done by the elderly.
Martin stressed that people should not wait for the Month of the Elderly to show their appreciation; instead, families need to become more involved and take responsibility for their seniors, because if more families do so, both the seniors and the communities would be better off.
