Mama Dorathy Juwai, popularly called ‘Pu’uri’, is arguably Africa’s oldest woman alive today as she shares her secrets of longevity.
Juwai was born in 1902 in the mountainous region of Tola in modern-day Adamawa State in Nigeria. She hails from Mayo Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa state.
Speaking exclusively to Quest Times, the 120-year-old says the key to her longevity is in her nutritional habits.
Juwai had lived a century long due to nutritional habits and routines such as waking up early every day and eating naturally made food. Meanwhile, the reason behind the long life of Madam Juwai is her strange habit of sharing her food especially with her late husband.
Madam Juwai, who still cooks her own meals, says “you have come to witness my burial as a privileged from God to have lived this long.”
Speaking on her secrets to long life, Mama Juwai who is Mumuye by tribe from Zampuru Mountain under Binyeri Ward in Tola, in Adamawa State says “I’m always careful in selecting the kind of foods I eat that’s why I cook by myself. I avoid Maggi [seasoning], sugar and other ingredients because they affect my health.
“I eat tuwo masara mixed with soup as food and take kunu too. I prepare my food because I don’t like eating the foods prepared by my children and relatives because they use Maggi and other ingredients which is not good for my health.
“I also avoid engaging anybody with trouble to have peace of mind, I think positive about people and always pray to God for protection.”
She revealed that she was happily married to late Juwai Pingwa in Zampuru community around the early 1930s in accordance with the Mumuye culture and they were blessed with 11 children out of which five are late today, 40 grandchildren and 62 great grandchildren.
“Three of my elderly children have died, the first born was 102 years, second 96years old and the third born 94 years. After this sad incident, I and my husband had to carry out some cultural cleansing before continuing with having children.
“We practiced African Traditional religion before but I was converted into Christianity which made my husband get upset with me but stood firm in Christianity and my husband later understood and allowed me to practice my belief.”
The supercentenarian speaks on her strange habit of dropping portions of her cooked meals for her late husband [who died over two decades ago] at specific locations in her room. She says: “I’m remembering my husband by cooking and keeping some portions for him. He used to come in spirit at night to eat the food and this is the place inside my room where I keep the foods for my husband.”
She stresses that Nigeria is a country with heterogeneous people and “I want to advise politicians not to divide the masses by allowing them to practice their beliefs.”
On voting, she says: “I voted in elections about two decades ago…can’t remember the exact year but in those days we vote with our conscience for credible leaders that will perform and deliver true dividends. But today, politicians come to buy people with money and this has put us where we’re today.”