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THE ELDERLY

 OUR COMMUNITY PILLARS

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In some places, "the elderly" connotes "the weak"; but in the Gbi community, seniors play roles in the family that are by no means for the weak.

 

In many ways, seniors in the Gbi community are recognized as the people who hold the system together.

The elderly are important family and community pillars whose sacrifices are unmatched.  

 

Gbi's elderly have a strong attachment to their community. These seniors mostly stay back in their Gbi traditional homes while their offspring move to the cities, big towns and overseas. And when they travel out of town to visit family, they can't wait to return home. It just doesn't matter to them how fancy life is in these other places.

 

Grandmas and grandpas are the most faithful caregivers in Gbi. This is quite the opposite in other parts of the world. 

 

Beyond caring for grandchildren, seniors in Gbi care for the sick, including fellow seniors. They take on these tasks unconditionally and perform them with distinction.

 

Their skills at caring for the sick is unbelievable - for a people with no formal training in the field. They extend these helping hands beyond the walls of their homes to the entire community. 

 

Gbi's elderly are judicious and skillful people who know how to create things and solve problems using raw talents. Their knowledge in medicinal herbs, natural law, and mechanics is amazing. 

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So much has changed today about the lifestyle of seniors in Gbi, as

traditional practices increasingly give way to new technology. 

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Still, Gbis can say without a doubt that our grandmothers and grandfathers are the foundations of our homes and those whose wisdom keep us on track. 

 

 

Antoinette Herrmann-Condobrey

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