Mrs Chenwartee Ramtale, born in Bois d’Oiseaux, Olivia, on 20 February 1922, celebrated her 100th birthday, today, at the M.K.S Multipurpose Hall, Caroline, Bel Air Rivière Sèche.
An official ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity to honour the new centenarian. On this occasion, Mrs Ramtale received, from the authorities, a cheque amounting to Rs 21,836; another one to the tune of Rs 10,000 from the National Solidarity Fund; a centenarian medal; one certificate; a telephone; a cookware set; and a bouquet.
The Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah; the Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Mr Teeruthraj Hurdoyal; the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), Mr Anjiv Ramdhany; and the Deputy Speaker, Chairperson of Committees, Mr Mohammud Zahid Nazurally, were present at the ceremony.
He further stated that the focus of Government is to improve the quality of life of the elderly and added that several measures are taken to improve their standard of living such as increasing the basic retirement pension. He said that in future, the retirement pension will further increase so that more consideration can be given to the elderly who have significantly contributed to the economic development of Mauritius.
For his part, Minister Hurdoyal appealed to the youth to look after their elderly relatives and observed that many young people leave their parents in homes and ‘ashrams’. He underlined that the elderly made a lot of sacrifices throughout their lives adding that the youth are now reaping the benefits.
He expressed appreciation for the way Mrs Ramtale’s family has looked after her. He also dwelt on the various facilities and schemes provided by Government as a Welfare State.
As for the PPS, Mr Anjiv Ramdhany, he acknowledged the sacrifices, discipline, and the active life led by centenarians. He stated that it is heart-warming to celebrate the birthday of a centenarian and expressed the wish for Mrs Ramtale to remain healthy and live longer. He also pointed out that many centenarians come from the east region and noted that their families have looked after them well especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Deputy Speaker, Mr Mohammud Zahid Nazurally spoke about how the elderly are the repositories of values and traditions and, with their rich life experiences, play an instrumental role as guides for the new generation. Every elderly person is a wealth of knowledge, and can be viewed as living historical treasures, he said.
Latest statistics from the Welfare and Elderly Persons’ Protection Unit of the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security and National Solidarity reveal that the Republic of Mauritius has recorded, as at 15 February 2022, a total of 172 centenarians from Mauritius and Rodrigues. In Mauritius, the number of female and male centenarians stands at 138 and 25 respectively while in Rodrigues, the number of centenarians recorded are 7 females and two males. They all benefit from a monthly pension of Rs 21,710 from Government.
Mrs Chenwartee Ramtale, born Doyalee also known as “Dadi Moontee” has one brother and one sister who passed away. Her father was a labourer and her mother was a housewife.
Mrs Ramtale married Mr Juggoo Ramtale and out of this union, two children (one son and one daughter) were born. She has two grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Furthermore, she likes to watch television, and enjoys the company of her friends. “Dadi Moontee” attributes her long life to hard work, faith, and grace of God.
