Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture said it was satisfied with the first opening  day of the INDABA Tourism Trade Fair of South Africa. Following a series of trade, press and bilateral meeting the Tourism Minister of the Seychelles confirmed to the press covering INDABA that he was happy.

“The official side of the working visit was good. The bilateral meetings with Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom of South Africa and Minister Michael Mabuyakhulu, the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs amongst others were good and strengthened the positive working relationships that we have already. Meetings with the other African Tourism Ministers Hon Mabuza from the Kingdom of Swaziland, Hon Likeleli Tampana of Lesotho, Hon Anastancia Ndhlovu of Zimbabwe, and Hon Ruffin Bayambudila and Hon Guy Matondo Kingolo of The Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC), the Minister from Angola and the other MECs from different South African provinces also opened new door of cooperation.

On the Seychelles Stand at INDABA the meetings were also good. David Germain and Lena Hoareau were assisted by the current Miss Seychelles Linne Freminot. They had a steady flow of Tour Operators and Travel Agents and answered queries concerning Air Seychelles and air access, new operators looking for DMCs and those looking for hotel updates and meetings. Erica Tirant of the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel and Casino said that she was kept busy and was happy with her participation.

Minister St.Ange said that he also found interesting the panel session moderated by Richard Quest of CNN and saluted South Africa for standing up for the scrutiny. “South Africa Minister Hanekom and his Deputy Minister faced a barrage of targeted questions during the panel discussion. This public event showed that South Africa had reached a level of political maturity and transparency. The discussion on and Africa Brand was also interesting and when Richard Quest of CNN sought my views on the matter in the televised debate it was an opportunity for me to air that Africa needed to work with Africa and not only be subjected to the negatives of being part of the continent when their were turmoil or epidemics” the Seychelles Minister told the press.

This panel discussion by Richard Quest also provided the Seychelles Minister Alain St.Ange the chance to meet privately with the CNN personality and Ailsa Pringle the CNN Account Director for Africa. Richard Quest also followed up this meeting by a visit to the Seychelles stand where he took a picture with Miss Seychelles Linne Freminot.

The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture continues to appoint, as its Cultural Ambassadors, people who understand the Seychelles, its Culture and its People. “Generally we have appointed famous personalities is the world of music and the arts and we work with them to open doors to our Seychellois Artists, both performing or visual” said Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture in the presence of Benjamine Rose, the PS for Culture after presenting the Certificate of Appointment to Norbert Couvreur as the newest Cultural Ambassador.

It was at a ceremony at the ESPACE Building Offices of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture on Monday the the 9th May 2016 in the presence of Benjamine Rose, the PS for Culture that Norbert Couvreur received his Certificate of Appointment as a Cultural Ambassador.

Norbert Couvreur has been General Manager at the Beachcomber Sainte Anne Resort and Spa since 2010 and his employment contract in Seychelles has come to an end. “Mr Couvreur has been a GM who understood Seychelles and who has worked with our Ministry for the betterment of the island’s tourism industry as he supported Cultural Events that appeared on the Seychelles Calendar of Events. After some six years he is moving to France and will be General Manager of a hotel complex where many famous sport personalities from the world over train and spend quality time. We have opened a dialogue with Mr Couvreur to open doors for Seychelles tourism, culture and also our sports men and women. His appointment as our Cultural Ambassador is only officialising what he will be doing in any way for Seychelles after he leaves our shores, this is being a Good Ambassador for our islands” said Minister St.Ange

It is the first time that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture names a former Hotel & Resort General Manager to be their Cultural Ambassador and on this the Minister and PS Benjamine Rose said that Mr Couvreur understood that by working together with the Tourism Board and the Ministry he was playing the togetherness card that helped to ensure the consolidation of the island’s tourism industry.  “Mon cher Norbert, we appreciated your presence in Seychelles as a Resort General Manager. We worked well with you and we appreciated your unconditional support for the Ministry and for Seychelles. We wish you well in the challenging position you are taking and know that even though you are leaving Seychelles no one will be able to remove Seychelles from you heart” Minister Alain St.Ange said to Mr Couvreur as he presented him with his Certificate of Appointment as Cultural Ambassador.

Offer more travel options between Vienna and Seychelles

Air Seychelles and Niki, the Austrian subsidiary airline of the Air Berlin group, have expanded their codeshare agreement to offer travellers convenient flights between Austria and Seychelles via Paris.

As of yesterday, Air Seychelles has placed its flight code on 12 weekly services operated by Niki between Vienna and Paris and the airline will place its code on six weekly services operated by Air Seychelles  between Paris and Seychelles, offering  holidaymakers and business travellers a choice of same-day and stopover connections to Seychelles.

Niki is the second largest airline based at Vienna International Airport. Since 2012, it has been offering guests a worldwide route network. With best fares and the best product, Niki and Air Berlin have become number one for flights between Austria and Germany.

The new routes extend the already existing codeshare agreement signed by the two airlines in August 2015 that covers flights between Vienna and Seychelles via Abu Dhabi, as well as inter island flights between the archipelago’s largest islands of Mahé and Praslin.

Roy Kinnear, chief executive of Air Seychelles, has said: “We are pleased to continue working with our codeshare partner Niki to provide tourists and business people from Austria with more travel options to our tropical islands. We are confident this development will have a positive knock-on effect on inbound tourism into Seychelles and we look forward to welcoming Niki’s passengers on board our aircraft. On the other hand, our guests in Seychelles can now choose to fly to Vienna, a city steeped in culture, history and tradition, via Paris or Abu Dhabi with Niki, knowing they will have a smooth travel experience.”

Oliver Lackmann, Niki managing director said: “With this codeshare expansion, air travellers can easily book one-stop flights from Austria to Paris and onwards to Seychelles, using one single combined ticket for their entire journey. We are pleased to be able to offer an even larger choice of connections to Seychelles, combining flights via Paris with flights via Abu Dhabi.”

The Air Seychelles codeshare flight with Niki takes off from Mahé at 21:50 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, reaching Paris Charles de Gaulle the next day at 06:00. The connecting flights leave at 08:55 and 21:00 on Monday, Thursday and Saturday to arrive in Vienna at 10:40 and 22:45 respectively.

It leaves Vienna at 06:15 on the same days and at 18:20 on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and reaches Paris respectively at 08:10 and 20:15.

The CDG-Mahé flight leaves at 19:45 on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, to arrive at 08:00 the next day.

Source : Seychelles NATION

A host of activities is being organised for FetAfrik which will take place from May 23-28 under the theme Human rights with a particular focus on the rights of women.

Announcing the different activities yesterday morning, Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange said the theme is very important and they have come up with some innovative ideas as to how best to showcase it so as to highlight the importance of women and the role they play in society.

The official opening ceremony on Africa Day itself – on May 25 – has this year been moved to the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS).

“For many years the opening ceremony has taken place at the National Cultural Centre which has become too small. Taking it to the ICCS, it will be given all the splendor and glamour it deserves and the ceremony will be held under the theme Umoja (the Kiswahili word for unity) which is very important for us as a people,” Minister St Ange pointed out.

FetAfrik is a platform where Seychellois and Africans can exchange and express themselves in promoting peace and development through common cultural heritage.

He noted that like every year the organising committee, chaired by the principal secretary for culture Benjamine Rose and her team, has again invited participation from countries from mainland Africa and Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda have responded positively. They will be sending groups to take part in an Umoja popular musical show soon after the official opening. Tickets for the show will cost R100 apiece.

Well-known South African street artist Wesley Pepper; lead trainer in life skills and living values Helen Sayers; as well as the respected and reputed professor Samba from Senegal who will conduct lectures on African renaissance, will this year take part and bring another aspect to the FetAfrik celebrations.

PS Rose said that like every year, the programme is packed with activities aimed at satisfying all groups in society.

“We have worked with our different partners including the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) as well as different local artists who have brought in their contributions,” she said.

Working with the SNYC to boost its values programme, PS Rose said Ms Sayers will lead three different training of trainers’ sessions entitled the Spirit of Ubuntu. The latteris a Nguni Bantu term which means human kindness or good values, which is an idea from the Southern African region.

SNYC chief executive Alvin Laurence said workers of the council as well as youth workers and representatives from different schools will take part in the training.

Former minister Peter Sinon has through his great link to the African continent and love for African culture as well as his different contacts, worked to bring in professor Samba as well as fine, mural and street artist Wesley Pepper who will be holding art exchange sessions with Seylar members.

“I believe FetAfrik also provides a great opportunity for us to learn more about the African continent and professor Samba has a wealth of knowledge of the continent and he will be a great source of inspiration for us and it will be a great exchange,” he said.

Meanwhile, PS Rose said this year there will be no popular activity like sale of African foods and artifacts and this is because experiences of past years have shown that the African communities here have found it unsustainable to have enough ingredients to provide the different dishes over the week-long activities.

She added that the two gala evenings being organised on May 27 at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay hotel and the African dinner dance at Espace on May 28 are events which would provide the local public with a real taste of African cuisine and entertainment in the right atmosphere and at affordable prices.

Source : Seychelles NATION

Three motions were approved during the first sitting of the 13th Seychelles National Youth Assembly held last Saturday at the National House.

Present at the sitting were the 27 members of the 13th Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA) who represent their respective districts and educational institutions, as well as past SNYA members who were there as observers.

The first motion tabled by Olivia Revera and seconded by Danio Vidot proposed that the department responsible for the National Museum and the National Library re-open the doors of those services to children doing research, and to the general public.

The second motion proposed by Gretel Clarisse and seconded by Anil Ladouce, suggested that the Ministry of Health be more secretive by not revealing sensitive and confidential information, to help the youths be more comfortable when coming for an appointment.

The third and last motion was asking the Ministry of Education and other concerned partners to beef up security in schools, so that students can benefit from safer educational institutions and have a more secure surrounding. The motion was tabled by Joanne Laurette, and seconded by Shana Mathiot.

Source : Seychelles NATION

Bann prizonnyen Montagne Posée i aprezan kapab benefisye avek en servis danter ki a zot dispozisyon sirplas.

Sa fasilite ki baze dan blok zonm, ti ofisyelman ouver semenn pase par Sirentandan prizon Maxime Tirant, dan prezans bann zofisye Minister Lasante ek Servis Prizon.

Msye Tirant ti dir ki sa proze in reisi finalize avek bon korperasyon Minister Lasante ek bann lezot partener.

«Sa i en keksoz ki nou ti anvizaze fer en bon pe lannen pase e dan sa demars nou’n ganny kado serten lekipman avek UNODC (Lorganisyon Nasyon Zini pour Drog ek Krim). Me nou’n ganny enpe retar pour trouv en landrwa apropriye pour nou fer sa klinik akoz landrwa i enpe kwense,» i ti dir.

I ti eksplike ki parmi bann rezon prensipal ki sa servis in ganny etabli i pour reanbelir servis swen lasante dan prizon e osi reponn a gran demann pour servis danter dan prizon.

«Nou’n konstate ki nou annan en gro problenm danter dan prizon e vi ki en kantite dimoun pe antre dan prizon avek sa problenm ledan pa bon, e bann ka i akimile nou pa ti pe ganny sifizaman slot atraver bann klinik kominoter par egzanp Anse Boileau, Baie Lazare, Anse Aux Pins, Anse Royale,» i ti dir.

I ti azoute ki sa fasilite pou ede redwir lakantite prizonyen ki sorti pour al rod swen, sitisayon ki ti pe met en presyon lo resours tel ki transportasyon ek bann travayer ki bezwen eskort zot.

Sa klinik pou osi kapab akey plis pasyan prizonnyen ki bann klinik kominoter, me pwen pli pertinen se sa kestyon sekirite kot i annan risk ki prizonnyen i kapab sove ouswa fer lezot keksoz negativ ou ilegal. Klinik pe swete vwar dis pasyan dan en zour pour redwir backlog e fer fas avek bann nouvo ka.

«Dan lavenir nou menm kapab azout en dental hygienist pour kapab fer sir ki ledan nou bann dimoun ki dan prizon pe ganny mentenir e otan ki nou kapab kit bann prizonnyen an bonn sante i en gro benefis pour Minister Lasante ek prizon li menm,» Msye Tirant ti konklir.

Dantis ki baze dan sa klinik i Robert Ernesta avek son asistan, ners Marylyn François.

Dantis Ernesta ki byen koni pour son letan kot klinik Anse Royale, pe fer sa metye depi 1995. I annan 19-an depi ki i pe travay avek prizonyen dan bann diferan prizon tel ki L’Ile Longue, Grand Police, Marie Louise, Coetivy ek Montagne Posée limenm.

I pe swete ki dan 2-an i pou’n kapab met kontrol avek problem ledan dan prizon.

«Koman en dantis mon’n fer 11-an Anse Royale e sa i en gran klinik. Laba mon’n reisi annan kontrol lo mon bann pasyan e se sa ki mon anvi anmennen dan prizon. Savedir mon pou met en plan travay kot mon pou fer check-up tou bann prizonyen pour mwan kapab idantifye bann servis ki zot bezwen.  Dan 2-an nou anvi ki prizon i fini anba kontrol kot ledan i konsernen,», i ti dir.

Sa klinik danter Montagne Posée pou osi edik bann prizonyen lo lafason ki zot bezwen okip zot ledan ek zot lasante labous e pour dekouraz zot pran bann sibstans ki gat zot ledan, sirtou sigaret.

Source : Seychelles NATION

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s official visit to Seychelles over the weekend was a resounding success, Foreign Affairs and Transport Minister Joël Morgan has said.

The Foreign Minister, who was speaking at the airport following Mr Ban’s departure for Mauritius on Sunday afternoon, has attributed the success to two main reasons: Firstly, he has said, the visit has permitted the world’s top diplomat to see for himself the rate of Seychelles’ development on the political, social and environmental levels, and secondly it will reinforce the country’s relationship with the different United Nations (UN) agencies.

“The secretary general is satisfied with the country’s current development and the way for example democracy is evolving where we have recently reduced the presidential mandate from three to two five-year terms – while many countries are searching to extend it – and the way society is developing in general. On the environment side he has noted that the country has done a lot through the fact that 51% of our terrestrial territory has been declared protected areas and also the work we are doing in the context of renewable energy, while he is satisfied that Seychelles is among the 16 countries which have ratified the Paris Accord on climate change,” he said.

Minister Morgan added that our development strategy in terms of the blue economy and tourism forms a fusion with environment protection which is of paramount importance to the country.

Although Mr Ban has visited Seychelles at the end of his mandate as UN Secretary General, Mr Morgan has commented that the visit compliments the work he has been doing in favour of uniting the world as “one United Nations”.

He has added that it is also a reward for Seychelles as a result of the country’s effort on the national level to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), tackle poverty and have a better position for our people on the happiness index, and on the international level in terms of investments, for example in maritime security.

He further stated that the secretary general has appreciated the work done with the support of the UN to fight piracy by among other measures, setting up legal structure to effectively try suspected pirates here.

From a local point of view, he says Mr Ban has seen a peaceful and stable country.

Minister Morgan has concluded that Seychelles will as from now on has a louder voice on the international scene, especially in fighting the cause of small island developing states.

Source : Seychelles NATION

Africa working with Africa as EAST3ROUTE accepts Mpumalanga as fifth Member joining KwaZulu Natal, Kingdom of Swaziland, Mozambique and Seychelles

> A Ministers meeting of the EAST3ROUTE Group that was held in Durban on the sidelines of the INDABA 2016 Tourism Trade Fair saw the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa admitted as the fifth member of the East3Route Grouping.

> The East3Route was initially a tourism promotional and development program set up by KwaZulu Natal of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland and Mozambique with the blessing of President Nelson Mandela, the King of Swaziland and the President of Mozambique.  The Seychelles saw the benefit of this togetherness approach sought to be admitted to the grouping and has since become the fourth member.

>Meeting in Durban South Africa were Minister Michael Mabuyakhulu, the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism & Economic Affairs of KwaZulu Natal South Africa, Minister Jabulani Clement Mabuza, the Minister fo Tourism & Environmental Affairs of the Kingdom of Swaziland, Minister Alain St.Ange.

>the Minister for Tourism and Culture of the Seychelles, High Commissioner Paulino Jose Macaringue representing the Minister of Tourism of Mozambique and Minister Sikhumbuzo Eric Kholwane, the MEC for Finance, Economi Development and Tourism of Mpumalanga Province  of South Africa. The Ministers discussed the successes of the East3Route programs undertaken last year and also discussed the Legacy Program where now go ahead was given to construct the arts kiosks in Swaziland and Mozambique and opened discussions for the extension of that project to Seychelles. A report on the Seychelles meeting of August last year when the business community form KwaZulu Natal, Swaziland and Mozambique accompanied by a large contingent of press flew to Seychelles in what was seen as a successful event. The 2015 road-show was also discussed and the report reviewed. This big even was also seen as a total success.

>The October 2016 road-show was also approved and it will start in Mozambique on the 22 October to coincide with the business partners meeting before moving to Swaziland before entering South Africa’s Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal provinces.

>The big decision of this 2016 meeting of Ministers was the adoption of the resolution to accept Mpumalanga Province of South Africa as its 5th Member. Even though the grouping will remain known as the East3Route it will now have five members namely KwaZulu Natal of South Africa, the Kingdom of Swaziland, Mozambique, Seychelles and Mpamalanga of South Africa.

>A following Ministerial meeting is expected to be held in June in Johannesburg

“A Photographic Journey through pristine Natural beauties” is the tag line used by Gregor Kervina, the Author of the hard cover full colour 96 book “Seychelles The Best Of”. Printed in Slovenia with ISBN 978-961-276-565-1 the book by Gregor Kervina has a foreword by Dr. Jeanne A. Mortimer, the known environmentalist with special interests in the protection of the Seychelles giant tortoises and sea turtles and carries an interesting photograph of the main inner islands of the Seychelles taken from the International Space Station.

The pages of great photos of the Seychelles published cover Bird, Aride, Praslin, La Digue and Mahe Islands and brings to life the beauty of the Seychelles natural landscape, its beaches, flora and fauna.

Mr Kervina presented a copy of his latest work to Minister Alain St.Ange, the seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture saying that he hoped that he was able to do justice to the beauty of the islands through the pictures in his book. Mr Kervina has also launched a small version of his book about 4 inches square which he says he hope could be used by the tourism trade as a give away especially for turn-down service. ” The small version is also a great book for children” the author said.

Minister Alain St.Ange has congratulated Mr Gregor Kervina for his work and wished him success with this edition of his book. “We appreciate people who have the passion and expertise to take pictures who then publish their prized shots into a book. Such work will help get the message to the world about the beauty of the Seychelles” the Minister said.

Increasing trade and tourism between Ethiopia and Seychelles will be the key focus of Dina Mufti Sid, the fifth ambassador of Ethiopia who presented his credentials to President James Michel at State House yesterday morning.

Mr Sid, who held talks with President Michel after presenting his accreditation documents, discussed a wide range of issues with a view to strengthen relations between the two countries, including the fight against piracy, peace and security in the Horn of Africa, as well as trade and tourism.

Also present during the meeting with President Michel were the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan and the President’s diplomatic adviser, Ambassador Callixte d’Offay.

Mr Sid also paid a courtesy call on Vice-President Danny Faure.

Speaking to the press after his meeting with the two Seychellois leaders, Mr Sid said there is great potential to develop tourism and trade between Ethiopia and Seychelles.

“There is a very good relationship between our two countries, but we have to step it up. We will be looking at expanding cooperation in the areas of tourism, trade and investment,” he said.

“Seychelles has a lot of experience in tourism and there is great potential for development in that sector. We can also work to develop trade and Ethiopia, a country with 90 million people, is a huge market where investments can also be explored,” Mr Sid said.

He described relations between his country and Seychelles established in April 1982 as “very good” as the two countries continue to strengthen their bilateral cooperation and support each other at regional level on numerous issues including peace and security.

During his visit here Mr Sid is also holding talks with various ministers as well as the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industries to explore areas for trade and commerce.

Mr Sid is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Source : Seychelles NATION

Over 40 people from different companies and organisations as well as other individuals responded positively to a call by the Lions Club to give blood and save the life of a person in need.

The Blood Transfusion Centre (BTC) of the Seychelles Hospital is always in need of blood and the Lions Club is one of many organisations that each year mobilises as many people as possible to respond to this essential need.

Employees from Shreeji Construction, Pillay R group and other companies responded to the call and were happy to be able to give a helping hand.

Lion D.V. Sharma said the turnout was good and very encouraging for the activity held in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Red Cross Society of Seychelles.

He added that it is always touching to see that people always respond to such a call to perform a compassionate and life-saving gesture, and the fact that from the over 50 individuals who turned up more than 40 qualified after screening, was in itself good.

On behalf of Lions Club he expressed heartfelt gratitude to everyone who responded positively for their usual cooperation and faithful response to the call to perform a gesture to save a life.

Source : Seychelles NATION

Trade, debt and accessing financing to help small states achieve Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development are a few of the priority issues small states and development partners will tackle this week in Seychelles.

The global biennial conference on small states provides an opportunity for the most vulnerable member countries to take stock of global developments and map out a more resilient future.

The current global outlook on small states – countries at the sharp end of development challenges – has largely been influenced by recent international agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Agenda on Development Finance and the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21). The conference aims to analyse the impact of these agreements and unearth the realities facing small states that hamper social and economic growth. Those who will be taking part will look at concrete mechanisms to build resilience and secure financing to achieve their development goals.

Thirty-one of 53 Commonwealth countries are classified as small states, each facing unique challenges specific to their size and location. Low-lying, landlocked and sometimes remote, these countries are often overlooked and left to contend with economic and climate shocks that can wipe out entire economies overnight.

Devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Erika in Dominica in 2015 and Cyclone Winston in Fiji this year are recent chilling reminders.

“We have seen a gear change on action to tackle global problems with a series of landmark international agreements. But signing up is not enough since the journey now begins. We need urgent and innovative financing solutions to provide much-needed resources for mitigation and adaptation,” said Deodat Maharaj, Commonwealth deputy secretary-general.

“This is an important event in the Commonwealth calendar because it is one of the few opportunities for small states to meet and find solutions to common challenges. It is our hope outcomes from these deliberations will go some way to influencing policy and also provide practical and concrete support for our member states,” he continued.

In addition to small states from across the Commonwealth, a wide range of stakeholders will take part in the conference, which will run from May 12-13, from government, business, civil society and academia, as well as major development partners: the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and United Nations.

Under the theme ‘Achieving a Resilient Future for Small States’, delegates will share the latest research, explore new opportunities and gain a better understanding of small states’ priorities and vulnerabilities. Discussions are expected to generate important policy recommendations and inform national, regional and global development programmes. An outcome statement will be issued at the end of the conference with recommendations and practical actions to support this most vulnerable group of countries.

The Commonwealth has long been a champion of small states, undertaking policy research on building resilience, alleviating debt burdens, improving access to finance, enhancing trade terms and responding to climate change and other disasters. At last year’s leaders’ summit in Malta, the Commonwealth launched the Climate Finance Access Hub. Hosted by Mauritius, the initiative will help small states access funds to tackle climate change.

Source : Seychelles NATION

Dragan Mraović is the new Serbian ambassador to Seychelles and he presented his letter of accreditation to President James Michel yesterday morning at State House after which he bestowed the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a sash on the Head of State.

Mr Mraović presented the Order, one of Serbia’s highest decorations, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolić, to Mr Michel for his contribution in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, a press release from State House said.

Expressing his gratitude for this honour President Michel said: “Your Excellency, I thank your government for this award which is testimony to the long-standing ties of friendship and cooperation between our two nations. I accept it with much pleasure and dedicate it to the people of Seychelles.”

President Michel congratulated Mr Mraović and said the government of Seychelles is looking forward to promote greater cooperation with Serbia.

They discussed how Serbia and Seychelles could consolidate their cooperation in the fields of tourism, education, health as well as international peace and security.

Also present during the discussions between President Michel and Mr Mraović were the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport Joël Morgan, the President’s diplomatic adviser, ambassador Callixte d’Offay, and the honorary consul of Serbia to Seychelles, Dr Miodrag Todorović.

Mr Mraović also paid a courtesy call on Vice-President Danny Faure.

Speaking to the local press after his meeting, Mr Mraović said he had fruitful discussions with the two Seychellois leaders on numerous issues of mutual interests noting that during his mandate he will work to continue to develop economic and educational cooperation between his country and Seychelles.

“Economic relations are a priority and I will do my best to increase these relations. There should be exchange visits between business people from our two countries,” Mr Mraović said.

He said the two countries are exploring more possibilities to bring tourists to Seychelles, not only Serbian but from the whole of Europe.

“We are helping Seychelles in the educational sector, with many Seychellois who have graduated in the former Yugoslavia and Serbia. Presently there are four Seychellois students studying at universities in Serbia and we have also one new scholarship to offer,” said Ambassador Mraović.

Mr Mraović is the third Serbian ambassador to be accredited here and he is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Source : Seychelles NATION

President James Michel has congratulated outgoing School of A-Level Studies’ students who last year scored outstanding results in the Cambridge IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations.

In the presence of the Minister for Education MacSuzy Mondon, President Michel met the seven students at State House yesterday morning and offered them a small gift. He commanded them for their good results and assured them that the country needs their input for its future development. They in turn talked to the president about their future plans.

Seychelles NATION talked to three of the seven young men and women after their meeting with the Head of State and we share with you their reactions.

Vania Marimba who scored straight As in psychology, history and English literature: “We discussed our results as well as the work ahead with the president. I am actually teaching history and geography at the Beau Vallon secondary school while I am preparing to study law at the University of Kent, after which I would like to become a solicitor. If I have a word of encouragement to younger students, I will ask them to work on themselves and not only rely on their teachers.”

Sadsitha Lokuge who scored A* in physics, chemistry and computing and A in mathematics: “The president has congratulated us for our performance. He has told us that Seychelles counts on its young people to bring the nation forward. I now want to go on to study engineering and become a chemical engineer. I want to tell Seychellois students that there are no tricks in obtaining good results. You must follow the syllabuses thoroughly and not always rely on teachers.”

Siddharth Jawahar who scored As in biology, physics and mathematics: “We talked about our career choices with the president and he motivated us for the future. He told us that he counted on us in building the country’s future. I want to study medicine which for me is not only a choice, but also a need for the country. For the moment I am accumulating experience at the Seychelles Hospital, before moving on to university.”

The other outstanding A-Level students who met President Michel yesterday were Frances Barra (A in geography and A* in economics and business studies), Mara Rivolta (A in English literature, computing and psychology), Shania Low-Thion (A in economics and A* in accounting and business studies) and Paul Gedeon (A* in Mathematics, physics and computing and A in chemistry).

Source : Seychelles NATION

Sherin Naiken, Norbert Couvreur, Jean-Louis Pismont and Minister Alain St.Ange

Jean-Louis Pismont has been appointed by Beachcomber Hotels to oversee their Sainte Anne Resort & Spa and their Marrakech property at the same time now that it has been confirmed that the resort’s popular General Manager Norbert Couvreur is moving at the end of May to a new property on the Cote D’Azure in France. Norbert Couvreur has been General Manager of the Sainte Anne Beachcomber since 2010 and he has successfully managed the property to be what it is today.

“High Occupancy and a good performance all round” is what Norbert Couvreur says has been achieved.   Jean-Louis Pismont has been a longtime General Manager at Beachcomber Hotels in Mauritius and is currently the General Manager of the Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa and also the Paradis Hotel & Golf Club at Le Morne in Mauritius.  He will now be overseeing both the Seychelles Sainte Anne Resort & Spa and their Beachcomber Marrakech property.

At a meeting at the Sainte Anne Resort & Spa on Wednesday Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture was briefed on the coming changes and introduced to Jean-Louis Pismont. Minister St.Ange was accompanied at this meeting by Sherin Naiken, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board.  “We are of course sad to see Norbert Couvreur leave Sainte Anne and we take this opportunity to wish him continued success. We also welcome Jean-Louis Pismont, the new General Manager who will be overseeing the resort pending the appointment of a resident General Manager for Sainte Anne. We have appealed to Mr Pismont to continue to work with the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and with the Tourism Board for the consolidation of the Seychelles tourism industry. Norbert Couvreur understood Seychelles and worked with us as a partner and this partnership we hope will be continued by Mr Pismont in the future” said Minister St.Ange after the meeting at the Sainte Anne Resort and Spa.

Jean-Louis Pismont on his part re-assured Minister Alain St.Ange and the CEO of the Tourism Board Sherin Naiken that he has been briefed by Norbert Couvreur on what has helped make Sainte Anne succeed and that he will continue to ensure that the Beachcomber Sainte Anne Resort and Spa remains a full partner of the island’s Tourism Board and that of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Seychelles.

Sustainable for Seychelles (S4S), a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), organised a flash climate change rally in Victoria yesterday afternoon in solidarity with a global campaign against fossil fuel.

The global campaign, dubbed ‘Break Free From Fossil Fuel Movement’, is being coordinated by the international climate NGO, 350.org, a global climate change organisation based in the United States of America whose aim is to have governments, large companies and every citizens to turn their attention towards green energy projects and to break free from the use of fossil fuel such as coal, oil and gas.

The small local group who rallied yesterday comprised delegates mainly from the Land Waste Management Agency (LWMA) and a few individuals from other sectors.

They gathered next to the ‘Lo Stenn’ monument at the taxi stand near Camion Hall, proclaiming such messages as ‘break free from fossil fuels’, ‘Seychelles go green, use bicycles’, among other slogans.

The 20-minute activity had drivers and pedestrians slow down their pace to listen.

A representative from LWMA, Hansel Vidot, said he and his colleagues were very happy to have responded to this noble cause for the country.

“We at LWMA are contributing to the abundance of the very good fresh air that flows in Victoria and elsewhere by planting trees and flowers and this also helps our beautiful paradise to remain green and carbon free,” he said.

Axelle Bodwell from Sids Youth Aims Hub (SYAH) said their involvement in the small but important activity was to raise awareness on the dangers of climate change  and to encourage others to rally together to help reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuel.

The chief executive of S4S, Dr Michele Martin, said she was not satisfied with the turn-out but nevertheless was very happy that the message had been heard from the noises that the small group had made which had caught the attention of many passers-by.

“Government has its role in putting policies in place and the citizens have to practically implement these policies by trying not to depend on fossil fuel,” she said.

Noting that government has announced that Seychelles is aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2050, she said S4S, which organises this type of activity every year, wants to raise awareness among everybody so as to help Seychelles go for green energy sooner if possible.

Francis Port-Louis, a taxi driver who had witnessed the event, told Seychelles NATION that for not totally relying on fossil fuel and for his own personal savings were the reasons why he went hybrid in his taxi business.

“It has benefited me a lot. I drive 420km on 31 litres of fuel for R500. In the other taxi I had before I would cover only 150km for the same R500,” he noted.

He noted that there are only two hybrid taxis on Mahé and he would like other taxi drivers if possible to switch to hybrid vehicles as it would benefit them and they would also be helping in reducing the emission of hydrocarbons in Seychelles.

“The only problem holding them back for the time being is in relation to the mechanical side. There are no professional mechanics for hybrids here and we taxi drivers cover a lot of kilometres and our vehicles need maintenance every now and then. But I think this will not be the case in the near future. We had this same problem when electronic cars were introduced here but now it’s not the case,” said a confident Mr Port-Louis.

In some countries the ‘Break free from fossil fuel’ rally was marked by protests.

Source : Seychelles NATION

The President of the Nurses Association of Seychelles (Nars) Rosie Bistoquet has urged all nurses and midwives in Seychelles to be committed, innovative and solution oriented professionals.

This comes in Ms Bistoquet’s message on the occasion of the International Midwife Day celebrated on May 5 under the theme ‘Women and newborn: The heart of midwifery’ and

The International Nurses’ Day being celebrated today under the theme ‘Nurses: A force for change: Improving health systems’ resilience’.

Ms Bistoquet’s message reads:

“First of all, I would like to congratulate the International Nurses/Midwives Council for dedicating this very important theme this year to commemorate the birth of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of nursing.

“It is through her sheer determination towards this vocation that we have witnessed the significant milestones in nursing worldwide, including in Seychelles.

“Most people have an ideology that nursing is purely about bedside care, but in actual fact nursing encompasses autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing and midwifery include the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Other key nursing roles also include advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education.

“Secondly, since the establishment of health care services in Seychelles, nurses had and continue to play a central role in achieving universal health coverage. The nurse workforce has a long history of responding to the changing needs of society. We have developed our practice to tackle public health challenges and to ensure the provision of high quality care. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, significant gains have been made in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular goals 4, 5 and 6, in reference to the outcome of the Seychelles’ MDG Report 2015. These have been through various national indicators such as increase in life expectancy, eliminating vaccine preventable disease, reducing many of the risk factors associated with child and maternal mortality. We nurses have made significant contributions to improving child survival but we acknowledge that more can be done. On top of known health problems, we face emerging global threats such as drug resistance, new pandemics, emerging infections, natural disasters, global climate change, migration, ageing population, divergence in new technology and most importantly the health, socio-economic factors associated with key population such as alcohol and drug abuse, among others.

“Thirdly, the Nursing/Midwifery workforce in Seychelles are increasingly well educated, to enable us to connect with citizens, communities, policy makers and each other. However, the need to adapt and change more quickly is evident and the challenges set out for the next 15 years will require a new generation of innovation and leadership. As nurses and midwives gain higher profile in the development of local, national and international responses, we need to have confident, well-informed leaders who understand our roles in developing a workforce to meet new challenges. Nurses and midwives being at the core of resilience can make significant contribution to developing and maintaining resilience in health systems. We shall be able to contribute to service development; supervise and develop other members of the team; work with and advocate for patients, their carers and communities; and collect data and inform the development of evidence.

“Fourthly, to support the nurses and midwives into this agenda, the Nurses Association of Seychelles will endlessly ensure a strong nursing voice in all health and social system policy development and planning dialogues. We believe that all nurses and midwives should contribute to public policy development and planning related to care delivery systems, health care financing, ethics in health care and determinants of health to shape the health system. As a group, we have an enormous potential to build and expand our political capital. However, the key to achieving this potential is found in the ability of the individual nurse and midwife to join the association, for the purpose of representation, allowing your voices to be better heard. Together we can employ a number of strategies to contribute to effective policy development, including monitoring the utilisation of nurses, midwives in the workforce; incorporating new models and management strategies; continually marketing a positive image of nursing to key management and policy stakeholders nationally and internationally; disseminating relevant knowledge and research; and, continually developing and maintaining appropriate networks to enable collaborative working relationships with governmental and non-governmental organisations.

“I will not complete this message without addressing the young nurses and midwives of Seychelles; the association recognises your great contribution to these two vocations even though your individual and family needs may not be the same as the experienced nurses and midwives. We are aware of the social factors impacting on your profession but remain focus, committed and promote your professional development to serve the patients, clients you are serving.

“Finally to conclude, providing quality health care services to all people living in Seychelles is the ethical and professional responsibility of each and every nurse and midwife, whether employed as civil servants or in the private sectors. We must be committed, innovative and solution oriented professionals as we continue to provide care with resilience and versatility even with little or no resources or organisational support. However, improving health systems’ resilience requires inter-sectoral efforts by all actors at all levels. Nurses, midwives who deliver the majority of health care services, in collaboration with colleagues in both health and non-health sectors have an important role in this process.

“I wish all, a happy nurses and midwives day especially the retired experienced nurses and midwives who have devoted their lifetime to a noble vocation. Extend your caring hands to support the younger nursing and midwifery generations. To you, nurses and midwives into the international arena, your support is vital in the professional development of nursing and midwifery in Seychelles.”

Source : Seychelles NATION

Fourteen infant deaths have been recorded from the 521 live births for the first four months of this year and this is a big cause for concern and healthcare providers are calling for more and stronger health awareness education and campaigns.

Dr Loren Reginald, the director for hospital services, has explained that for the first four months of this year (January to April) 14 infant deaths have been recorded from the 521 live births for the same period. During the same period last year only four deaths were recorded.

Infant mortality is the number of babies born alive who die before their first birthday per every thousand live births.

Dr Reginald said it is rare that the figures for infant deaths have exceeded 15 cases a year except for 2013 when a cumulative figure of 19.3 for each 1000 births was recorded and since then the Ministry of Health has invested a lot to raise the standard of service and health protocols in terms of antenatal, postnatal, maternal and child care to continue to reduce the risks of infant deaths.

Infant mortality is classified into neonatal; – early neonatal i.e. seven days or less, late neonatal more than seven days and up to 28 days and post-neonatal; all babies who die before one month old.

“But increasingly there are issues which are beyond the control of health professionals,” he said.

Dr Reginald attributed this to several reasons namely prematurity, congenital abnormalities, infections and babies who are brought to the hospital after they have died elsewhere and this year, up to now two such cases have been recorded.

He noted that so far prematurity is the main cause of death and this is when expectant mothers give birth to babies under 38 weeks weighing less than 800 grammes.

He added that risks of premature births and abnormalities are very high when the expectant mothers are too young (that is still in puberty) and when expectant mothers are too old (over 40 years).

Infections being another factor for premature births and infant deaths, Dr Reginald reiterated the importance for expectant mothers to report to their health centres for their first prenatal consultation well before their pregnancies reach 16 weeks.

“We always encourage expectant mothers to seek medical attention early in their pregnancy. Early consultations are crucial as they allow for early detection of any risk factors which may threaten the pregnancy which timely medical intervention and hospital admission for treatment if necessary could help prevent complications,” Dr Reginald said.

Dr Reginald said often expectant mothers who do not report for antenatal care and consultations or report late, do not follow treatment which they are administered or discharge themselves from hospital are the ones who give birth to premature babies.

“A mother passes on any infection she may have to her unborn baby,” Dr Reginald said.

Pneumonia, a lung infection, is also a cause of death in babies resulting from bacterial infections babies get from their mothers.

Another increasingly alarming factor resulting in premature births is substance abuse – drugs and alcohol consumption by expectant mothers.

“It is a real and big concern for us medical professionals as it is very difficult to educate people on the issue. And I believe this is a concern for society as a whole to give a helping hand to educate expectant mothers on the need to stop using drugs and alcohol when they are pregnant because of the dangerous effects on their unborn babies and also on the importance of seeking early medical intervention,” Dr Reginald stressed.

“Health professionals are there to save lives and to help expectant mothers have healthy full-term babies,” he pointed out, adding that mothers who are admitted should not discharge themselves but should listen and follow health professionals’ advice for their babies’ and their own sake.

“We are there to help, treat and give advice but we do not impose anything on any one and we do not force any one to do anything,” Dr Reginald said.

Dr Reginald stressed that it is important during the first few months that a baby is being formed that expectant mothers do not use certain types of medicine nor abuse substances which can severely affect the development of the baby causing malformation and other defects as well as premature births.

Unsuccessful illegal abortions also result in severe malformation of internal organs and can result in premature births and deaths.

“Increased awareness and education at community level is key to addressing these issues,” Dr Reginald stressed.

He reiterated that expectant mothers with health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure among others are closely monitored and appropriate decisions with regard to the births of their babies are decided.

Following reports that expectant mothers have not been properly monitored and advised by health professionals with regard to the decision on how their babies are to be delivered – either naturally or by caesarian section – Dr Reginald noted that it is always advisable for mothers to deliver naturally. But there are decisions that have to be taken at short notice based on the situation at hand but complications can happen.

“At all times our aim is to protect the lives of both mother and newborn,” Dr Reginald added.

He stressed that there is a team of dedicated professionals who devote their energy to ensure babies are born without complications but unfortunately there are circumstances beyond their control. But the community and society as a whole should also play a bigger role in awareness and education.

Source : Seychelles NATION