“Be honest, trust and love!” These are the main ingredients which have helped Garnet Edwards reach the age of 90. Edwards started and built the 4 H Club throughout T&T and was also awarded the Humming Bird Medal for service to his country. And now, the father of five and grandfather of ten celebrates his 90th birthday on Tuesday.
Edwards, who lives with his wife of 63 years in Diamond Vale, said he still attends church regularly because “we must always be vigilant and get involved in the right thing.” He said we must also learn to “love, love love,” and that is why he spends so much time working with young people, helping to develop them. “We don’t give enough chances to the young people,” he said. According to Edwards, we must give them chances to do things and even when they make mistakes, we should be there to help and correct them.
Another secret of Edwards’ long life is that he eats well and does not drink or smoke. Eating “a lot of vegetables” and “drinking a lot of fruit juice,” is also a part of his daily life. As an agricultural extension officer, Edwards was sent to Connecticut, USA, in 1968 to learn about a youth programme called the 4H club and later introduced the programme to secondary schools with great success in the South, East and in Tobago. He felt that maybe the young people should get re-acquainted with the 4H club because it is a great way for them to learn nature studies. Edwards’ children includes the president of the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce, David Edwards. With his wife Faith, a former schoolteacher, they also produced a psychiatrist, a vice principal, an engineer and a nurse.
Even after their retirement from the public service almost 30 years ago, Edwards would give religious instructions to students at St Michael’s School for Boys while his wife taught many of them to read and write. Today, Edwards still practises agriculture—both flora and livestock—in the company of his wife, but their pride and joy is the success of their grandchildren amongst them two engineers, two professionally and academically qualified musicians, an aviation engineer, a medical student and a management trainee. He said the country has “made a lot of progress, perhaps too quickly” but “we have done well.” The Sunday Guardian wishes Edwards a happy 90th birthday. His wife will turn 90 in February 2015.