Mrs Hung Yan Saing Hung Foo Chow Tia, also known as ‘Popo Yoon’, celebrated her 100th birthday, this morning, in the presence of her family and the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the Opium Restaurant, in Réduit.
The Minister of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo; the Lord Mayor of Port Louis, Mr Mahfooz Moussa Cadersaib; and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister and the dignitaries remitted various gifts to the new Centenarian. She received from the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity a cheque amounting to Rs 21,836, a flower bouquet, a centenarian medal along with a certificate and a food processor. A present was offered by the Senior Citizens Council as well as a cash gift of Rs 10,000 by the National Solidarity Fund.
In his address, Mr Jugnauth observed that celebrating a centenarian birthday was an exceptional life event. He underlined that the key factors that contributed to the longevity of Mrs Hung Yan Saing Hung Foo Chow Tia were her active physical lifestyle and her healthy diet. He pointed out that Mauritius had an alarming rate of noncommunicable diseases and dwelt on the importance of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle just like Popo Yoon.
The Prime Minister underpinned the devotion of the daughter and other family members in ensuring that Popo Yoon benefitted from all the required care. He renewed Government’s unflinching support to cater for the wellbeing of all elderlies, and stressed that a caring and loving environment remained the most important factor to contribute to maintaining a happy life for the elderlies.
Furthermore, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth recalled that all children should be grateful for the efforts, hard work and sacrifices made by their parents to ensure their progress and success. “They should all stand by their parents’ side at this stage of their life,” he added.
As for Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, she elaborated on the various forms of facilities offered by the Government to enhance the quality of life of the elderly. She pointed out that Government recognised the contribution of the elderlies to help advance the country’s progress, and affirmed that their wellbeing was at the core of Government’s agenda.
The Minister underlined that Government remained committed to strive for the welfare of all the citizens, and safeguarding the health, as well as the security and safety of the elderly. “The Government,” she highlighted, “has the responsibility to ensure their good health, safety, security, joyous life and financial stability.”
On that score, the Minister reminded that the Budget 2022-23 provided for an increase in old age pension, so that they could live a decent life. Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo also announced that her Ministry was in the process of creating a Mobile App for the elderly for them to request assistance from the Police and officers of the Ministry in case of any form of danger, abuse or violence.
Mrs Hung Yan Saing Hung Foo Chow Tia, also known as ‘Popo Yoon’, was born on 12 June 1922, in Mui Yuen, China. Her father was a pharmacy sales assistant and her mother was a housewife. Her mother gave birth to four children: two sons and two daughters. She has never worked for wages and speaks very little Mauritian Creole.
The Centenarian studied Mandarin in a Chinese medium school. She came to Mauritius at the age of 24 when she was already married to Mr Hung Yan Saing. The couple was blessed with nine children: three sons and six daughters. Out of the nine children, four have passed away and four are abroad. She has sixteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
