Today, October 1, is International Day of Older Persons. It is a day recognized by the United Nations and across the globe including our island nation St. Maarten. Due to a number of positive interventions, people around the world are living longer and healthier lives. This day affords us all the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions older St. Maarteners have made and are still making to their families and communities on a daily basis.
According to statistics from the Census Office, St. Maarten has some 4971 registered persons, 60 years and older from no less than 91 different countries and islands, as far as South Africa, Syria, Taiwan, Vietnam, Sweden and Switzerland, and from almost every Caribbean island, and across Latin America.
More and more, older persons are remaining active after retirement by engaging in activities such as through lifelong learning, working longer, and exercising which sustains health and capacity.
On behalf of the Executive Council and people of St. Maarten we salute all those organizations and individuals who have paved the way in caring for our Seniors over the past decades and recent years.
We must reflect on this day on the exemplary work carried out for many years by the White and Yellow Cross Foundation, through the St. Maarten Home and before that the Sweet Repose in Philipsburg.
Recently the Home Away from Home Golden Age Foundation celebrated its 5th Anniversary and later this year the Senior Citizens Recreation Foundation will celebrate 20 years of dedicated service by and for the seniors on St. Maarten.
We salute other organizations like the Helping Hands Foundation, the Red Cross and all other groups, organizations and individuals who are giving so much of their own time to help and care for those who have been the architects of today and have laid the cornerstones for the future of St. Maarten.
International Day of Older Persons is also an opportunity to encourage all our seniors to participate in community activities.
Among every nation’s greatest assets is its older persons, and St. Maarten is no exception to this.
Born here, brought here or come here, the almost 5000 persons, 60 years and older, have helped shape modern day St. Maarten and continue to make significant contributions to our nation’s socio-economic development with a lifetime of skills, knowledge and experience.
We also have a generation of older St. Maarteners, our seniors, who have worked to build this nation and who have now retired and are enjoying life. They are our daily source of inspiration and the corner stones and pillars of St. Maarten.
These persons’ tireless dedication to the nation and sense of self-sacrifice is truly inspirational. Ageing is a true milestone of human development and achievement. I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to the nation to congratulate older persons and seniors who have made a difference in your life, your family and others at home or at work. Use this day, October 1 to appreciate older persons and seniors and to say thank you.
On behalf of the Government and people of St. Maarten I salute you, each and every Older Person on St. Maarten. May God continue to bless our nation and in a very special way, our Older Persons from and of St. Maarten.