Barbados’ decision to give outstanding centenarians its stamp of approval is just one way the country honours its elders

From commemorative stamps to an online archive, Barbados is trying to change the narrative

Originally published on Global Voices

In an increasingly digital age, postage stamps may seem archaic; unnecessary, even — but this tried and true tech was once critical to human communication. The Caribbean island of Barbados would probably argue that it still is. For many on the island, stamp usage is part of everyday life, but more than that, the humble stamp has emerged as a tangible way of honouring citizens who have made worthwhile national contributions — par for the course, except for the fact that they all have one extraordinary thing in common — they are centenarians.

6. When you reach 100 years old in Barbados, you get a stamp in your honour. Lovely. pic.twitter.com/VkuJqbZeB7

— Wolf of X (@tradingMaxiSL) August 8, 2024

Centenarian stamp issue

It all began after a 2016 nationwide census revealed that there were as many as 114 centenarians on the island at the time, with many more very close to turning 100 years old. These impressive numbers made Barbados the country with the second highest percentage of centenarians per capita in the world, a distinction special enough to warrant the commemorative stamp issue being undertaken that very year, which also marked the island's 50th anniversary of independence from Britain.

Aptly called “Centenarians of Barbados,” it featured a set of 20 stamps, as well as a souvenir sheet and first-day cover, and was the first (and largest!) of its kind released by the Barbados Postal Service. According to the country's Government Information Service (GIS), the issue went on sale at post offices across the country on March 9, 2017 (though various other sources cite a December 8, 2016 release date) and the stamps were available for a year. Each stamp in the set carries a value of BBD 65 cents (US 33 cents).

The 27 subjects for the issue were chosen to represent a diverse cross-section of backgrounds and professions. Twenty of them were 100 years old, while the others were dubbed super (or semi-super) centenarians, aged 105 to 110 years or more.

Stamp collectors who purchased the issue have been listing the set for resale on sites like eBay.

Birthday visits

As the blog Repeating Islands reported in 2010, however, citing a New York Times article, Barbados has long-standing traditions of celebrating the elderly and making them feel special and included:

In New York, the ceremonial duties of the consul general of Barbados is a custom rooted in the colonial history of that island nation. When a Barbadian turns 100, the consul attends the birthday party, and each subsequent one, bearing flowers and a proclamation celebrating the person’s life and longevity.

These consul visits, which began in 2004, “mirror a long tradition in Barbados, where the governor-general, who serves as the head of state, pays a call to residents on their 100th birthday, and then every anniversary from the 105th on.” If the centenarian so wished, the governor could, at the time, also have solicited a congratulatory card from then-reigning Queen Elizabeth II.

Britain governed Barbados until its independence in 1966. In December 2021, less than a year before Elizabeth II died, Barbados became a republic, replacing the monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with its first local head of state.

Online archive

Three years after the centenarian stamp issue was launched, came a website in their honour. Referred to as the “the foundation builders,” the site — developed by the former National Committee on Ageing, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society and the GIS — pays homage to these elders’ lives and legacies through an accessible digital archive that includes photographs, videos and stories.

Then Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde explained, “Their work has provided the foundation for the phenomenal transformation that we have seen in this island and that many of us enjoyed, without even thinking about how we got here.”

In a region that can be ageist, and where vulnerable populations are often disrespected or mistreated, Barbados’ efforts to honour its elders may be a step towards changing the narrative. According to Forde, “No longer is that stigma associated with our geriatric hospitals as alms houses. They have quality care, excellent members of staff and groups that visit them to make sure that the ageing are comfortable.”

A challenging backdrop

However, abuse of the elderly is a concern. In 2021, Forde herself urged citizens to speak out if they witnessed elder abuse, and by 2023 she was advocating for those who suffer from elder abuse to get justice.

The Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) has been calling for legislation to protect senior citizens. This, it said, would implement “standards of care […] to prevent and combat elder abuse.” According to the draft Elderly Persons Bill 2022, anyone convicted of abusing the elderly could be fined BBD 25,000 (USD 12,500), jailed for up to 10 years, or both. However, the Bill has still not been enacted, but BARP says it is “determined to see this legislation passed in 2024.”

According to the association, elder abuse has increased since 2020, when the island got its first cases of COVID-19. The association also recommended education and training for caregivers, “so that they can operate at and maintain the legal standards.”

The challenge is undoubtedly a global one, prompting the United Nations in 2011 to designate June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, but in Barbados, which “has an ever-growing elderly population and an exceptional number of centenarians” according to an Advocate op-ed, “ensuring that our elderly are taken care of in their twilight years, honoured, celebrated and most importantly protected, must be high on our agenda.”

Reaching 100 years is undoubtedly a significant milestone, and despite the challenges, Barbados has been striving to recognise that. New centenarians are routinely featured in the media, and the online archive's personality profiles successfully capture their spirit and wisdom, while also acknowledging the important role caregivers play. For seniors to actually experience the love and respect these gestures hold in their everyday lives, though, legislation — and education — may need to be the next items that get the country's stamp of approval.

On August 10, Barbados Today reported that the country's Minister of Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey laid the National Policy on Ageing for 2023-2028 before Parliament, which he promised would not be “a document that sits on the shelf and gathers dust.” The policy covers everything from community care and health services, to financial security and elder abuse.

Written by Janine Mendes-Franco