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Sierra Leone: 120-Yr Old Woman Still Going Strong
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Concord Times (Freetown)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Ben Samuel Turay
120-year-old Mammy Hannah Douglas who lives in Bobo village along the western rural peninsular area of Tokeh in the outskirts of Freetown could be the oldest woman so far in the country.
Last year Mike Stibich Ph.D.'s Longevity Blog stated that apart from nine others countries in sub Saharan Africa, Sierra Leone with a life expectancy of just 37 years holds the record for the world's shortest life expectancy.
Problems of poverty and childhood death are expected to drive the life expctancy even lower. Over 70% of the population is unemployed and 30% of children do not live passed the age of 5.
Unlike Maria Esther de Capovilla of Ecuador who died at 116 in 2006, Douglas may not have been recognized by Guinness World Records because her claim to the title, as the oldest person in the country, was not particularly supported by detailed documentation provided by her family.
However, the outcome of a week-long investigation corroborated by documents in the possession of Williams Carbind, her 55-year-old nephew, could be pretty much convincing.
Douglas, born on March 16, 1888 at Gbangabato village, yesterday said that she grew up helping everyone in her community and that her positive lifestyle has allowed her to live this long. She is a barren.
Except for the partial blindness which attacked her some ten years ago the old woman sounded hopeful that she has more time in the world to serve her God.
She advised all who wish to live long "to serve God, respect their elders, listen to their parents and elders, and have self knowledge and respect." These according to her are among the reasons she is still alive today.
"I can still walk, feed myself, talk clearly and my teeth are still strong to chew kolanut. My only problem is the fact that I cannot see clearly," she said.
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She added: "I was 29 years old when I got married in 1917. I stayed with my husband for complete 68 years before he died in 1985. Since I got married I have never known any other man apart from my husband. I do not have any child but took care of my sister's children. Now they are taking care of me. I eat fofo, yam, rice, kolanut, biscuit, rice porridge and fish or any soft food.
She said her husband was forced to take another wife because she could not give him any children. But the new wife could not stay long perhaps because their husband was not a rich man.
"But I have always remained patient. In fact that was why my husband decided not to take any other woman as wife again. I am the oldest person in the peninsular area," she concluded.
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