First Lady hosts inner islands elderly |13 November 2023
The First Lady, Linda Ramkalawan, hosted a reception for senior citizens from the inner islands last Saturday.
This was held at the Pirogue Restaurant & Bar in Côte D’Or on Praslin and saw the participation of 60 elders from Baie Ste Anne, Grand Anse and La Digue districts.
Mrs Ramkalawan was accompanied by the Minister for Youth, Sports and Family Affairs, Marie-Celine Zialor; proportionally-elected member of the National Assembly, Doyace Poris; and district administrators for the inner islands.
When addressing the invitees, Mrs Ramkalawan thanked them for gracing the event with their presence. “I am very grateful for your presence today. Let this be an opportunity to socialise with one another and have a good time together.”
The first lady also expressed her hope that the elders will appreciate this opportunity, and that it would warm their hearts and make them feel loved.
“As retirees we sometimes feel that the society has forgotten about us and this reception is to remind you all that we do remember and appreciate you for the valuable contribution you have made and continue to make in your communities. This is also an opportunity to meet up with old friends or create new friendship, exchange contacts and keep in touch,” she added.
The reception was part of the ‘Hug in a Mug’ initiative where retirees are invited to spend some time together and interact in a relaxed setting. This is the second edition on Praslin and was greatly appreciated by the participants.
One of them was Wills Barbe who shared his appreciation. “In life, there is always a first time for everything and this is my first time to such an event. When I received this invitation I felt that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I should definitely not miss it. I feel so blessed and honoured as not everyone will have the chance to participate in an event hosted by the First Lady.”
Lucille Hoareau also felt honoured to have been part of such a special occasion. “It is not always easy to meet and interact with people around our age groups. Some are busy and others not feeling well and so this is a very good opportunity for us to meet up and reminisce about old times. It gives us great pleasure to have Minister Zialor and the First Lady with us today as we only get to see them on the media usually. It shows that they know that we are still around and they are also happy to meet and interact with us.”
The invitees received a traditional enamel mug from the First Lady and Rose Mary Bibi from La Digue, who was celebrating her 65th birthday, also received a bouquet of flowers.
The hosted lunch was entertained by live music and surely the dancing shoes were dusted off. The elders enjoyed some good rounds of ‘kanmtole’, ‘moutya’ and ‘sega’ dance and it was indeed heart-warming to see their smiles as they danced the afternoon away.
The accompanying photos show some highlights of the activity.
Text: Nadia Bedier
Photos: Romano Laurence
