A centenarian storytelling series targeting students is set to be launched on Thursday at the Bamboo Blu in Mammee Bay, St Ann.

The initiative aims to foster respect and appreciation for senior citizens, preserve valuable life stories and historical experiences, enhance students’ listening, communication and documentation skills, and promote empathy and intergenerational bonding.

Through this programme, selected students will have the opportunity to interact with centenarians — either in person or virtually, listen to their remarkable journeys, and document their stories through essays, presentations, videos, or creative storytelling formats.

Joseph Issa, the Custos of St Ann, said the initiative is under the Custos Commando programme and is among several targeting Jamaicans.

“The Centenarian Storytelling Initiative is one of the initiatives under the Custos Commando programme. To date there are several programmes, including Jacob’s Ladder, Mammee Bay Fish Sanctuary, Squatter Regularisation, St Ann JP Mentorship Initiative, Building Bridges among others,” Issa said.

“The programme is the collaboration of minds and groups to effectively enhance the parish and its development, adding value to the lives of the citizens,” he added.

According to Issa, the Centenarian Storytelling Initiative will highlight “the many legends within the parish or linked with the parish of St Ann, to learn from their experience and to award them.”

It aims to preserve valuable life stories and historical experiences, promote empathy and intergenerational bonding and enhance students’ listening, communication and documentation skills, Issa added.

He continued, “With this particular project, the Custos Commando Cieanna Smith and her team, Courtney McIntosh, LeVar Allen, Jodi-Ann Pryce and Antonia Armstrong seek to connect students and individuals aged 100 years above. It’s an invaluable opportunity to meet and interact with an individual over 100 years of age, and the event is open to invited guests, children, students, teachers and citizens.”

Issa shared that the aim is to have hundreds of custos commandos in St Ann tackling various activities to improve the standard of living and the quality of life in every corner of the parish.

“So far, we’re seeing amazing progress,” said Issa.