To celebrate International Day of the Elderly, the Church of the Nazarene in Ribeira Brava, São Nicolau Island, Cape Verde, honored the elderly of that community in partnership with the city council on 1 October 2022.

About 80 seniors from the Ribeira Brava community and other churches were able to participate in this fun celebration. Participants said it was a unique experience that brought a bright spot to seniors’ day.

Through the involvement of Ribeira Brava’s Health Centre employees, volunteers from the Red Cross, recent cosmetology training graduates, and a group named fazê bô dia sab (make your day a good day), the elderly were pampered, making their day full of joy and new experiences. In a presentation on health in the 21^st century, emotional and spiritual guidance was given to the participants.

Parallel to this celebration, the Church of the Nazarene in Ribeira Brava inaugurated a nursing home for the elderly called AMAR. The facility is named for Antónia Margarida Andrade Ramalho, a woman who greatly contributed to the Lord’s work in Ribeira Brava.

Josué Monteiro, the local Nazarene pastor, believes that this nursing home is an instrument to offer a better quality of life to seniors, as well as an open door to win many souls for Christ.

During the opening ceremony, the mayor praised the project and promised support from the local authority. The AMAR Nursing Home will welcome five elderly residents and more than 15 elderly people daily, offering food and health care.

Monteiro expects engagement from the Cape Verde Northern District and the Africa Region in this pioneering project.

Believing that the elderly should be one of the priorities of the church, Monteiro explained that the church should not forget them but always remember what the church is today is the legacy of each one of them.

--Church of the Nazarene Africa