(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles’ oldest inhabitant -- Nancy Marie -- celebrated another birthday on Friday in a special ceremony at the community centre of the central district English River.

The island nation’s greatest grandmother turned 109.

Celebrating the occasion among her children, grandchildren and friends, Marie said she hopes to be able to live much longer to educate her grandchildren on how to be obedient.

“They are not as obedient as my generation,” said Marie.

She was presented with gifts from various institutions including a hamper from the Ministry of Local Government.

The special advisor in the ministry, Dan Frichot, told Marie that “your age is evidence that you have acquired so much knowledge. I hope that you spend so many more birthdays among us.”

Born on January 26, 1909, on Praslin, the second-most populated island, Marie, who lives at Ma Joie, is only one year from breaking the record for the oldest person of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

Marie celebrated her 109 birthday surrounded by her family. (Seychelles Nation)  Photo License: CC-BY

The oldest Seychellois on record lived to 110 according to the Department of Social Affairs.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics figures of 2016, the average life expectancy for Seychellois women has gone up to 80.8 from 78.7 in 2015. For Seychellois men, the figure has gone down to 69.5 from 70.1 in 2015.

Marie has two children, five grandchildren and twelve great children and she told SNA that the best thing in her life is having seen the birth of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Marie’s first grandchild, Gilliane Marie, said that her grandmother is still very vocal and active at home.

“She refuses to sit around doing nothing and does most of her home chores even that of the grandchildren. She doesn’t leave the home much except to go for Sunday mass,” said Gilliane Marie.