The Ministry of Culture presented food stuff and other items valued over $80,000 to Uncle Eddie’s geriatric home on Monday and pledged its continued support to the institution.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release, Permanent Secretary at the ministry Alfred King presented the items Administrator of the home Rita McEwan, during a brief ceremony held at its Tucville location.
The Kuru Kuru Training Centre (KKTC) contributed the chairs and benches as well as the produce grown by students at its garden. A number of students from its training programme and the Sophia Training Centre also weeded and cleaned the residence’s compound. GINA said the ministry’s programme aims to cultivate character in youths by teaching them to volunteer their services to benefit others, particularly the aged.
According to King, the ministry’s response demonstrates its commitment to the residents as it recognises a need to help provide for them after they would have served the nation. “The ministry’s effort is to go beyond that training and ensure that the youths will feel committed to giving service beyond themselves, their homes and communities,” he said, adding that the ministry wants to train youths to appreciate the value of giving back to society.
King also pledged the ministry’s continued support to the residence, through participation by students from the two centres and it plans to collaborate with staff to determine how best it can continue to serve. “We want to ensure that the rest of your lives that you will be spending here on earth, we want to make it as comfortable as we can,” he told the elderly residents.
He also told them that the ministry will be facilitating regular medical check-ups and will work to assign someone to the institution. “We will work on things that are practical, functional and useful that will help to enhance your own lives while you’re here in this institution … so that they can help to keep you a little longer with us,” King said.
Director and Assistant Director of Youth Carl Brandon and Devanand Ramdatt, respectively, and Administrator at the KKTC Jagnarine Somwar also attended the ceremony.
