–First Lady urges at launch of Wisroc Senior Citizens’ Club

FIRST LADY, Mrs. Sandra Granger on Friday called on residents of Region 10(Upper Demerara-Berbice) to support the Wisroc Senior Citizens’ Club, which hopes to bridge the generational gap between the elderly and the young.

Her call came at a Prayer Breakfast at the Wisburg Secondary School, which served to officially launch the club, and saw participation from senior citizens from the Dorfor Home for the Elderly and communities such as Blueberry Hill, Silvertown, One Mile and Christianburg.

Later in the day, she helped to turn the sod at the site for the construction of a building to house the club in the Wisroc Housing Scheme area.

At the sod-turning exercise,the First Lady said: “This club will not only provide opportunities for seniors of Wisroc to meet and share their knowledge; it will also promote inter-generational interaction by having the seniors interact and share their knowledge and experiences with the young people in the communities.
“The young people, too, will be given an opportunity to share their experiences and their knowledge, and to learn from those of our seniors.”

Besides urging that the founders of the club be commended for having such a noble vision, Mrs. Granger also called on all like-minded citizens to support the club’s efforts to reduce the social isolation of senior citizens and improve their health and well-being.
She proposed that they do so “by providing inclusive, interactive and accessible programmes that make a difference in their lives,” adding:

“Ultimately, this will empower them to live meaningful and connected lives in which they are engaged and participate in their community.”
The First Lady has pledged to provide assistance to advance the club’s programmes, and has also committed to exploring the possibilities of hosting ‘Care for the Elderly’ and ‘Early Childhood Education’ workshops in the region next year, to complement programmes with similar missions that are already ongoing.

Meanwhile, President of the Club, Ms. Ruperta Fanfair said she was inspired to gather all of the senior citizens in Wisroc and spearhead programmes that would enhance their lives. She commended Member of Parliament of Region 10, and Collis Gift for both throwing their weight behind her efforts.

Their involvement saw the Club benefitting from accommodation and other forms of tangible support from Food for the Poor Guyana (FFTP); Caring for Others Guyana Inc.; and corporate Guyana in general.
Fanfair said that the 60 members of her club meet every Wednesday to socialise and create craftwork and other items such as hand-painted and appliqued pillow cases, bedsheets and tablecloths.

The six-month-old club also benefits from assistance from teenage girls in the community and, principally, from those enrolled at the Mackenzie High School, who assist the club members to produce scented candles and other novelty items for sale.
“It’s not six months yet, and, being women, we opened an account at the bank,” Ms Fanfair said.

Chairperson for the event was Pastor Selwyn Sills, and among those in attendance were Mayor of Linden, Mr Carwyn Holland; Member of Parliament, Mr Audwin Rutherford; FFTP representative, Ms Andrea Benjamin; and members of the community (Ministry of the Presidency)