It was a great celebration as Africa Caribbean Heritage Alliance foundation partnered with Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older persons to carry out commemorative rally at Unity Fountain, Abuja FCT on the 4th of October 2021.

The United Nations International Day for Older Persons is celebrated on the 1st of October every year. This year, the president of COSROPIN, Senator DR EZE AJOKU in his speech reiterated that the celebration of older persons came about by resolution 45/106 of the United Nations on 14th December 1990. That each year, it has a theme to address issues affecting older persons and the theme for 2021 is Digital Equity for all Ages. He noted the importance and need for access and meaningful participation in the digital world by older persons. In Nigeria. He noted that not many older persons are digitally literate hence are not fully participating in the current digital economy. As a coalition, ACHA team and Rightholders have a responsibility to educate and help the inclusion of all older persons in the digital world through their programs. It’s very important that every older person should be educated and included in the digital space.
The UN International Day for Older Persons aims to raise awareness of the worldwide impact of an ageing population and the need to ensure people can grow old with dignity and also to elevate the consciousness about things that are affecting older persons as they age. Some issues negatively affecting the elderly are elderly abuse, neglect, denial of rights and so many other things etc.
1st October every year is also to celebrate, honour and show respect to the contributions of older persons as individuals to families and the society. ACHA as an NGO look forward to support Older persons in different areas, such as Dignity of Older Persons, prevention of Older Persons abuse, community care for older persons and skills transfer by older persons. Through this we wish to connect enterpenurial skills for intergenerational knowledge sharing when the young people need to learn from the older persons and younger people can train the older persons on digital technology and also help in sustenance of the well-being, welfare and dignity of Older persons, as this will help in rewakening the consciousness of our people in the society. By this ACHA will be among the NGOs and organisations that are working hard to ensure the well-being and dignity of Older persons are preserved in our different locality.

At the rally ACHA assisted the older persons in creating awareness of the issues affecting older persons no matter wherever they are located because many are in very deplorable conditions and thank you for a day like this and God bless you all.

Attended and reported by Effiong Omini