Our widows and elderly had a wonderful time celebrating “World Old Folks Day” on October 5th! Excitement filled the air as they gathered in our local Community Hall, with 305 elderly participants this year. Additional chairs were set up outside for those who couldn’t fit inside the building. Every year, this group continues to grow.
This year the theme was, Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.
Provision of Hope organizes this event in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare. In December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons to raise awareness of the challenges faced by our aging population. In Liberia, there are no pension plans and limited support for the elderly. Through our biannual rice distributions, we have nearly 500 widows registered as members. We could easily double this number with additional funding.
Pastor Aaron Paul, founder of our widow ministry, led the group in prayer and worship. Together, they prayed for Liberia’s national leaders, our Children’s Homes, and all of Provision of Hope’s efforts for Liberia. They were so grateful to God for all that Provision of Hope does for them!
Daniel Coleman shared, “There was a strong Presence of God that filled this place. It was a Holy Moment as everyone joined in to Praise and Worship Almighty God”.Pastor Aaron Paul worshiping with the widows!
Widows praising God for the nutritious moringa fruit smoothies!
According to a recent United Nations report, population ageing is reshaping societies across the globe. In half of the world’s countries, life expectancy at birth now exceeds 75 years—a full 25 years longer than in 1950. By 2030, the global population of older adults is projected to surpass that of youth, with the most rapid growth occurring in developing nations. Learn more about this pivotal shift at United Nations Observances: International Day of Older Persons.
Our elderly population in Liberia is a major concern. Many elderly individuals suffer from untreated ailments, and finding enough food to eat is a struggle. Some of our widows are left to raise their grandchildren.
We are very grateful for Wordsower International and other donors who partner with us in this important work. (Here is the link for Wordsower International: https://www.wordsower.org/)
I am continually reminded of James 1:27, which tells us that what God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
