Above: Dominica (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Maybe it’s the mountain air, the laid-back lifestyle, or the volcanic soil, but Dominica has a knack for producing centenarians.

Last week, Anestasie Charles, known as Ma Maggie, became the 32nd living centenarian on an island of just about 72,000 people.

Ma Maggie, who was born in 1914, is the last of eleven children; she is the grandmother of four grandsons and one granddaughter and the great grandmother to five.

Above: Anestasie Charles

Dominica President Charles Savarin attended a special ceremony to mark the occasion, presided over by Father Conan Shillingford and also attended by Minster for Social Services Gloria Shillingford.

According to Shillingford, Ma Maggie said her favourite foods were crayfish, callaloo, dasheen, coconut and veyo.

Taking the microphone, Ma Maggie addressed the attendees, urging God to”bless them, save them.”

Dominica’s government has pledged to contribute to the care of every living centenarian with monthly cash, free cooking gas and a stove where necessary.