Dominica Electricity Services Ltd (DOMLEC) has marked International Day of Older Persons by extending its Credit for Life programme to three of the island's centenarians, recognising long lives lived in the communities the utility serves.
The three honoured are Christine White, Matthew St. Rose and James Riley, each of whom has passed the age of one hundred. Under the initiative, each centenarian receives a $600 credit on their electricity account, a benefit DOMLEC describes as a tribute to the eldest members of Dominican society.
The presentation was timed to coincide with International Day of Older Persons, observed each year on October 1. The 2026 observance placed the spotlight on citizens whose lifetimes span the better part of a century of Dominica's modern history, from the colonial period through independence and the challenges of the present day.
DOMLEC's Credit for Life programme is designed to ease the burden of utility costs for the island's oldest residents. By applying the credit directly to electricity accounts, the company ensures the benefit reaches the household without an application process or administrative delay.
Christine White, Matthew St. Rose and James Riley join a small and growing group of Dominicans who have reached the century mark. In a small island community, centenarians are often known across their parishes, and their recognition carries weight beyond the individual household.
The utility's gesture reflects a wider pattern in Dominica, where churches, village councils, cultural groups and private firms mark the contributions of elders. International Day of Older Persons provides an annual focal point for that recognition, drawing attention to the needs of older citizens — health care, security, mobility and the cost of living among them.
For families in the communities where the three centenarians live, the credit is a practical relief. Electricity remains a significant recurring expense for Dominican households, and a $600 credit represents a meaningful offset over the course of a year.
DOMLEC has not indicated whether the programme will be extended to additional centenarians in future years, but the company's decision to tie the 2026 presentation to the international observance suggests the initiative will remain part of its community outreach calendar.
The recognition also comes as Dominica continues to grapple with the needs of an ageing population. Older persons on the island face the same pressures as their counterparts across the Caribbean: rising costs, limited pension coverage in some sectors, and the challenge of maintaining independence in rural communities.
By naming the three centenarians publicly, DOMLEC has placed their stories before the national audience. Christine White, Matthew St. Rose and James Riley now stand alongside other long-lived Dominicans whose experience connects the island's past to its present.
The Credit for Life programme is one of several community initiatives undertaken by the utility. Its focus on centenarians gives it a distinct place in the calendar of observances that mark the lives of Dominica's elders.
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