While centenarians in Malta may not be so rare (well we do have the longest good health lifespan in the EU), very few manage to exceed their 100th birthday by a good number of years. One of these champs is the adorable Karmena Pulo’, who has just celebrated her 106th birthday!

Karmena is one of the oldest people in Malta, along with Maria Farrugia, who also celebrated her 106th birthday earlier this year. Both Karmena and Maria lived through the two gruesome world wars, and on the occasion of her landmark birthday, Karmena was visited by Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Anthony Agius Decelis at the Cospicua home for the elderly, where she resides.

Karmena is one of six siblings, one of whom, a sister, lives with her at the home. “She always looked after me, as well as looking after my brother. She was always thinking about us. And she worked hard, but God has rewarded her with longevity,” Karmena’s sister Marjanna Grixti says.

And at the ripe old age of 106, Karmena is quite the character! She still gets up and walks on her own, loves dunking biscuits in her tea, and is very fond of pasta! Karmena was born and raised in Cospicua, and has worked as a seamstress for sailors. Despite remaining single, she’s always been surrounded by a whole lot of love, having 15 nephews and nieces!

There have been quite a few Maltese centenarians over the years. Connie Galea lived until the age of 109, Emanuela Borg and Ines Borg, both lived to 106, and Sister Lydia Formosa, who passed away in 2016, was 107! Joseph Gellel and Jack Serra both lived to be 104 years old and died in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Filomena Muscat lived to be 108 years old and died in 2016 in the UK.

Globally, since the death of 117-year-old Chiyo Miyako of Japan on 22nd July 2018, 115-year-old Kane Tanaka, also of Japan, born 2nd January 1903, is the oldest living person in the world whose age has been documented.