Africa-Press – Mauritius. Older persons are mentors as well as guides and hold a wealth of skills and experiences. Their life experiences are life lessons for the next generation’ said the Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon, on Saturday 08 October 2022 at the Case Noyale Social Welfare Centre.
He was speaking during a lunch event for senior citizens to celebrate the 2022 International Day for Older Persons. It was organised by the Social Welfare Division of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare.
The 2022 theme is Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World. The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; Members of Parliament; and other personalities were present.
In his address, Vice-President Boissézon highlighted that it is necessary to acknowledge the accomplishments of senior citizens and ensure that they benefit from adequate facilities and services to lead an independent dignified life and enjoy healthy living conditions.
According to him, Government has always adopted international best practices by defining a holistic approach to an aging policy that reflects the needs of its population.
Our seniors are fortunate to live in a country with a long tradition of social support, universal pensions, free quality healthcare and innovative programmes that are focused on caring for the generation that helped build Mauritius, he stated.
Many programmes, Mr Boissézon pointed out, offer opportunities to the elderly in socialising, integrating the community and benefiting from leisure activities.
While the vast majority of seniors enjoy living within the family unit, with an aging population, there is a growing awareness that older persons are sometimes abused or neglected, he observed.
In Mauritius, the Vice-President further indicated, elder abuse was a taboo subject until the enactment of the Protection of Elderly Persons Act in September 2006.
The aim was to set up an elderly protection network to ensure that senior citizens benefit from adequate protection against physical, verbal, emotional and financial abuse. Incidentally, Mauritius is the first African country to have developed such a national policy on aging, he added.
On that occasion, a Shed to offer additional space for community activities was inaugurated at the venue, and bath benches along with food packs were distributed by the different personalities to beneficiaries. An award ceremony was also held to reward winners of an Indoor Games Competition.
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