The audience rose and erupted in sustained applause for a tiny woman described as a pillar of her church and community.
Hortense Rock, 101 years old, was the toast of the triennial awards ceremony hosted by the Institute for Gender and Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit and the Ministry of Social Care on Friday night at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies to mark International Women’s Day.
Rock, a seamstress who has made for “rich and poor” throughout St George, was also described as a pillar of the Ellerton Wesleyan Holiness Church where she pioneered a host of youth programmes and has been a Sunday School teacher for 65 years.
Here, Rock (left), being presented with her award for outstanding community service to the parish of St George by Joan Prescod, Acting Chief Community Development Officer. She was among 11 women honoured for their contributions to their parishes. (AGB)
