As the sun was out and the earth was made ready, a small group of our community’s elderly was in great anticipation of an Earth Day celebration.
On April 22, the day that marked the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day, the elderly of Huis Hoeveld Albertville, a care facility run by non-profit organisation Die Stigting Vir Bejaardes, planted an olive tree.
With Earth Day’s theme this year being ‘to invest in our planet’, the facility made sure to show their investment in our planet by positively contributing to its betterment.
Matron Nicolette de Jager said a tree signified life and this was what the care facility stood for, to give the ultimate care to our elderly. She added the residents resonated with the importance of the day and the benefits of planting a tree.
De Jager said they chose a tree that bore fruit, an olive tree, as it produced something that could be used. “Like that tree, we too need to produce our love to others so that it can be used by them.”
Care companion Pikkie Kombrinck echoed similar sentiments adding that she enjoyed every aspect of the day from seeing the joy on the faces of the elderly to them playing their part in the planting process.
A division of the company, Mediterranean Commodities sponsored the supplies for the day. Representative Marius Joubert said he hoped such days brought happiness to the elderly. “They love their gardening and everything green and they want to see a beautiful garden so they have something to look at. There isn’t much to do in such facilities so a lot of them love being outside in the garden.”
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