Gertrude Roberts With Roberto Hector
Photo By Erasmus Williams
Charlestown, Nevis
December 01, 2008
Eight years short of her 100th birthday, Ms. Gertrude Roberts of Ramsbury showered praise on those who cared for her and asked for God’s blessings for them as she celebrated her 92nd birthday recently.
She made the call when she was presented with a fruit basket by Minister of Social Development Hon. Hensley Daniel on behalf of the Senior Citizens Division and a bouquet of fresh flowers from Area Representative Hon. Roberto Hector.
Over the last two years, the island’s senior citizens when they celebrated their birthdays received public recognition from the Nevis Island Administration for contributions to their families, communities and by extension the entire country.
In a brief comment, Mr. Daniel referred to the programme as one designed to show appreciation and to give the senior citizens something to look forward to.
“When we came to government two years ago we sought to raise the profile of the senior citizens in Nevis and throughout the island in every single parish we have been able to find centenarians, octogenarians and now we have 90 years and over and what we are doing is to celebrate with them and reconnecting the past [with] the present and looking to the future,” he said.
He gave the assurance that the Ministry of Social Development stood ready to assist and ensure that the elderly on Nevis lived out the last years of life as they neared the distal end of the life course, in a manner that they felt appreciated.
Mr. Hector thanked Mrs. Roberts for the role she had played in the lives of many other young people in Charlestown, his included and the flowers were a token of appreciation from the people of Charlestown.
Also present was her nephew Mr. Spencer Brand and Mrs. Oslyn Kelly of the Department of Social Services ““ Senior Citizens Division.