Four hundred elderly Fijians travelled by bus to Pacific Harbour for a picnic on October 1, 1993, in a celebration that showed age was no barrier to having a good time.
The group, made up of Fijians, Indians, Chinese, Rotumans and Europeans, came from different backgrounds and spoke different languages but the one thing they had in common was their age.
That though did little to dampen their spirits.
At the Seventh-day Adventist Christian Camp, the elderly danced, sang and enjoyed themselves as they marked the International Day for the Elderly.
Despite their years, they remained young at heart, capturing the spirit of the occasion with a simple message: “We are young spirits trapped in old bodies.”
Religious groups, members of St John Ambulance and many young volunteers joined the celebration, helping the elderly make the most of their special day.
Chief guest Somsey Norindr, the United Nations Development Programme resident representative, summed up the occasion with a powerful message.
“It is not charity that the elderly deserve, but their just dues,” he said.
Mr Norindr referred to Fiji’s 1986 census, which recorded 33,032 people aged above 60. That number, he said, was expected to double by the year 2000.
Despite the growing elderly population, he said the welfare of older people was often overlooked by societies around the world.
Changing times had resulted in elderly people increasingly being viewed as burdens rather than as wise guardians of their heritage, he said.
Mr Norindr called for greater attention to the plight of older people and urged steps to address their needs.
He said elderly people should be allowed independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity.
She also encouraged other organisations to help host similar functions for older people.
The fun-filled day ended with a beachside lunch, card games, songs and dancing — a fitting finale to a celebration that reminded everyone that growing older did not mean growing old at heart.
