Photo: Elisa Coltro/Facebook
Nonna Irma, of Noventa Vicentian, Italy, poses with some of the children in the Kenyan orphanage she supports.
News outlets around the world reposted this story about a 93-year-old’s outreach work as described by her granddaughter on Facebook. But I found that BrightSide dug for additional details.
The website reports, “This charming woman from Noventa Vicentina, Italy is Irma, and she is 93 years old. Despite her age, she’s full of energy and desire to change the world for the better. She decided to fly to Kenya to help children in the orphanage there. Her granddaughter shared her grandma’s photos on her Facebook page, which took over the Internet. …
” ‘Irma has always loved life and was never stopped by life’s obstacles,’ her granddaughter [Elisa Coltro] wrote. She knows what difficulties are like and has always tried to help others. Irma lost her husband at 26 and later one of her three children. Her life has not been easy, and she has always relied on her own strength to make it through.
“Many years ago she met Father Remigio, a [missionary] who has spent his life helping the people of Kenya. Irma has supported him for many years. Once she heard that Father Remigio was hospitalized, she made a decision to visit him and all the places he had built during his lifetime, such as hospitals, orphanages and kindergartens.
“Now being in Kenya, Irma helps children as much as she can. She teaches English and Math in the school of Malindi. … Her age never stops her from taking motorcycle rides. Despite all the difficulties she’s faced, she continues to enjoy life. Irma plans to stay in Africa for a few weeks, but there is a possibility that she will want to stay there for good.
“She has always taught her children and grandchildren to help others. Her granddaughter Elisa did volunteer work in refugee camps in Greece in 2016 and 2017.” More here.
One of the things I like best about the story is the sense of a network of fellow travelers. Irma’s daughter went to Kenya with her. Her granddaughter volunteers. And zillions of people loved what Irma is doing enough to share the news on social media. One and one and 50 …
Photo: Elisa Coltro / facebook
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Good for her. I hope I can do such things at 93. Cheers!
In theory, I’d like to do just what she’s doing when I’m 93, but in practice, I doubt I’d do the volunteering so far from home. *You,* on the other hand …
Ha ha ha. Who knows!
Just goes to prove that no matter the age ,you can still be a blessing somewhere!
Her drive to be useful seems to help her stay young.
She’s such an inspiration. We tend to think that older people just want to hang out and knit or play bingo. I wonder how many of the knitters and bingo players wouldn’t really rather be doing something like Irma!
If they are hesitating to bust out, I suspect the expectations of people around them have something to do with it. It’s hard to start being a new person at any age. Irma had to go her own way most of her life, and that, I believe, has helped.
So inspiring! And I agree, the drive to be useful is a powerful life force. I’m utterly amazed at how functional my husband continues to be — and it stems from his lifelong drive to be of use, to help others.
It must be sadder for you to see him with Alzheimer’s than it is for him. I will share your insight with another friend whose husband has Alzhimer’s.
He’s oblivious to his decline, like the doctor predicted, and actually is more content and at peace than he’s ever been with life. So, yes, it’s much sadder for me. But, it’s not Alzheimer’s, and is easier to deal with so far because he is still very verbal and I’ve learned strategies for making him feel safe, respected, and well loved. At the moment things are going quite well. The hidden blessing of living with the knowledge that he is declining and I don’t know how rapidly is that I’m more aware about staying in the present, being present with him while he’s still here. That also makes me more present to life as it happens.
And, I have a wealth of good support around me here, friends who constantly remind me to take care of myself so that I can continue to care for him.
But, boy-oh-boy do I ever miss New England!
I think of you often and hope we meet in person one day, whether in Minn. or New England. You might not miss New England tomorrow if, like me, you were expecting to get drenched while watching your son-in-law run another Marathon. Fortunately, it’s a lot of fun rain or shine.
She sounds like a phenominal woman!
I, too, hope to be volunteering at 93.