By Orlando Pulido (Freelance Writer)
SANTA ELENA TOWN, Cayo District, Sun. Sept. 28, 2025
The Octavia Waight Center, a pillar of elder care in the Cayo District, marked its 39th anniversary on Sunday, September 28th, with a public ceremony that also launched Senior Citizens Week 2025. Held on the Center’s grounds, the event was organized by its board of governors and staff, and brought community members and advocates together in celebration of nearly four decades of service.
Opening the ceremony, center manager Claudette Hulse introduced this year’s theme: “Advocating for Healthy and Inclusive Aging”. In her remarks, Hulse emphasized the importance of ensuring older persons are fully integrated into society. “This theme highlights the need for healthy aging, and a future where older individuals live with dignity and purpose,” she said.
Following Hulse, Landy Espat of the San Ignacio Center for Employment Training reflected on the legacy of Belize’s elders. “The freedom that we now enjoy was safeguarded by those who came before us,” Espat said. “Their lives were testimonies to endurance, compassion, and fate … caring for our Seniors is a moral responsibility,” he further commented.
In a heartfelt tribute, Espat also thanked the Center’s staff for their unwavering compassion, describing the facility as “not just a facility, but a home.”
Chairperson of HelpAge Belize and the Octavia Waight Center, Evan Dakers then addressed the gathering, outlining three core objectives of Senior Citizens Week: raising awareness about the aging population; promoting the rights of older persons—including access to Social Security; and fostering intergenerational connections. Dakers praised the Government’s recent Consultation on the Families Bill, noting that Part Four of the proposed legislation addresses the welfare and protection of older persons. “For the first time in my lifetime, policies are being placed into legislation on the rights of the elderly,” he said.
Speaking to Amandala, Dakers added, “I have a message of hope. I also have a message that we will have to work harder to achieve what we consider to be the rights of older persons.”
The Octavia Waight Center’s commitment to elder care continues with support from international partners. Geriatrician Dr. Eslaidi Mendoza of the Cuban Medical Brigade commended the Center’s dedication, noting that the elderly are now living in an important age.
Founded on October 5, 1986, the Octavia Waight Center was established to provide shelter, care, and companionship to elderly citizens lacking family support or financial means. Its founding was made possible through the efforts of the late Elias Awe, and was named in honor of Octavia Waight, a local philanthropist renowned for her devotion to elder care.
Over the years, the Center has expanded its services beyond basic shelter. Today, it offers nutritious meals, medical supervision, and recreational activities aimed at enhancing the physical and mental well-being of its residents—continuing its legacy as a cornerstone of social support in Belize.
