Seniors singled out during Month of Older Persons

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 19, 2012 (SKNIS): Staff of the Social Services Department of the Ministry of Community and Social Development paid visits of appreciation to Milton Osbourne of Challengers and Henrietta Julius-Watson of Old Road, last week.

The calls on senior persons in St. Kitts form part of the activities of the Month of Older Persons which is being held under the theme; “Longevity: Getting and Staying Active in Later Years.”

SKNIS Photo 1: Mr. Osbourne accepts his basket of goods	SKNIS Photo 2: Mother Henny accepts her basket of goods

Denise Byron-Morris Supervisor for Social Assistance, along with Social Assistance Officer Larissa Riley and Home Care Officer Avril Douglas-Garvey visited the two residents of Constituency #4. Mrs. Morris on behalf of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs presented a plaque to Mr. Osbourne recognizing his contribution to national development.

Mr. Osbourne graciously thanked the Ministry of Social Development and followed up with a short synopsis of his life.

“I’m made to understand from my Grandmother who raised me, that my mother died and leave me when I was five months old,” Mr. Osbourne revealed. “So I had a lot of knock ’bout to reach where I am today.”

He explained that as a child he often went hungry and so at a very early age he went to work in the cane gang with older men and women for 10 pence a day from 7:00 am to 5:00 p.m. The 87 year old honouree said that in 1948 he was among the first nationals recruited by National Hero the late Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw to travel to Florida, USA, to work in the cane fields there.

The Social Services team continued on to Old Road where they visited centenarian Mrs. Julius-Watson. The 102 year old “Mother Henny” sat up alertly to receive her certificate of recognition and her basket of food and personal goods.