GRAF Advocates Medical, Financial Incentives For Older Persons @16th Anniversary

To ensure healthy ageing, a former President of the Senate, Senator Pius Anyim, has advised older persons to always engage in regular exercise and a healthy Godly lifestyle.

Senator Pius Anyim made the call in Abuja during the Sixteenth Anniversary of the Graceful Ageing Fellowship, GRAF, with the theme “The Gift of GRAF Extraordinary Blessings To Humanity”.

He also enjoined them to always contribute their wealth of knowledge and experience towards national development.

While commending GRAF for promoting graceful ageing among the older persons through its activities in the last sixteen years, the former President of the Senate advised the elderly to always eat and adopt a healthy lifestyle as well as regular exercise.

Earlier, the International Coordinator of Graceful Ageing Fellowship, GRAF, Senator Eze Ajoku said the Fellowship in the last sixteen years championed
the wellbeing, dignity, and inclusion of older persons through healthy programs, exercise sessions, and teachings on Graceful Ageing and Bible study fellowship.

“Every Saturday morning, we gather to move our bodies, stretch our muscles, and renew our strength as Isaiah 40:31 reminds us: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”
and through these gatherings, many have discovered new energy, restored mobility, and a renewed sense of community, “.

In his words :”Our last-Saturday seminars where pastors
feed our spirits and doctors share medical wisdom have saved lives, reduced fear, deepened understanding and empowered older persons”.

According to him, in the past year, God gave GRAF another blessing of the Daily Graceful Ageing Devotional, and this has become morning bread for many, spreading far beyond Abuja and Nigeria.

“As we celebrate today, let us remember 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
This is the heartbeat of GRAF prosperity of spirit, strength of body, clarity of mind and joy in old age. ”

He used the opportunity to urge the federal government to put in place medical assistance and financial incentives for older persons in the country.

Senator Eze Ajoku who also called for social security for the elderly, stressed the need for the passage of the Older Persons Bill by the National Assembly.

Some members and beneficiaries of GRAF programs expressed gratitude to God for blessing them through impactful activities of the Fellowship in the past sixteen years.

While commending the leadership of the Fellowship for being a source of inspiration to them on graceful ageing, they emphasized the need for other religious bodies to emulate GRAF in the promotion of rights and wellbeing of older persons in the country.

Highpoints of the GRAF 16th Anniversary were exercise, medical outreach, cutting of the Anniversary cake, and thanksgiving, among others.

Mathew Ayoola, Edited By Grace Namiji