Georgetown, Guyana (October 24, 2017) First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger and the Luminous Women’s Group in collaboration with the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three) Private Sector Association, today, honoured senior citizens with gift bags and a luncheon to mark Month of the Elderly. The event was held at the Rose Ann Resort’s Banquet Hall in Parika.
The First Lady, in her feature address, reminded the attendees that seniors still have a lot to offer society. “We’re not ready to move on yet. We still have quite a bit of life and energy in us. The bones might creak now and then. We might take a little time to get out [of] the way but the heart is still beating and the mind is still active. So we still have a lot to give,” she said.
Speaking on the wealth of knowledge senior citizens possess and their contributions to the development of Guyana, the First Lady commented on the important lessons that they have passed on to younger generations. “…We cannot count the contributions [that] you have made in your various lives, not only [as] you went out to work, but what you did in creating new generations and giving them the values, which we as Guyanese would like to see continuing in our society,” she said.
Coordinator of the Region Three Private Sector Association, Mr. Radesh Rameshwar also spoke of the invaluable nature of the wisdom seniors have offered society. “We cannot put a price tag to the sacrifices and contributions that you have made towards the development of our country. Your struggles and sacrifices [have] laid the foundation for us to build upon. That is why today our country is in a better shape now than it was 50 years ago,” he said.
Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Mark Constantine, lauded the invaluable contributions that seniors have made to Region Three, and to the nation at large. “[Region Three] would not be what it is today without the work and contributions that they [have] put in to this region. Many of them would have worked tirelessly in the various sectors to develop the region and, by extension, the country. I [am] really giving recognition to the hard work and the contribution [to] the seniors who are here… [and who made the region] what it is today,” he said.
Attendee, Mrs. Valdina MCCammon Charles, explained that although seniors are sometimes ostracised, there are simple things young people can do to give seniors the respect that they deserve. “I’ve always wondered if we are a forgotten people… Age is just a number and it’s how you react to the number… Treat seniors better. Be respectful to the elderly,” she said.
The event featured cultural performances from students of the region. The gift bags, which were filled with grocery and toiletry items, were hand delivered to the seniors by the First Lady and members of the Luminous Women’s Group.
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