Activities to mark Heritage Week started on Saturday with a host of traditional games held under the theme ‘Heritage of Sport’.
The games, held at the Mont Fleuri playing field, were organised by the Seychelles Heritage Foundation (SHF) in collaboration with National Sports Council, the National Monuments Board and the National Heritage Research and Protection Section in the Department of Culture.
Present at the activities on Saturday were the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange, the chief executive (CEO) of SHF Miera Savy, children from different schools around Mahé among other guests.
The aim of the activity was to celebrate our rich and diverse cultural heritage, and to renew efforts for the protection and conservation of our historical monuments. Heritage Day is an international event which is celebrated each year on April 18. It was initiated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) in 1982 and was approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 1983. The aim of this event is to celebrate the diversity of heritage throughout the world.
In Seychelles activities to mark the occasion will spread over five days.
“We have many people and private sectors that are working really hard to protect our cultural heritage and much effort is being made to safeguard our historical sites on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue,” Mrs Savy said when speaking at the launch of the activities on Saturday.
During the ceremony a group of people who have followed a workshop on how to make moutya drum received their certificate from the acting director general for culture Cecile Kalebi.
Certificates of appreciation were also handed out to individuals and institutions that the National Heritage Research and Protection Section consider as friends of heritage. This is in recognition of their contribution towards the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Seychelles.
During the ceremony there was a ‘récits de vies’ of three well-known sports personalities in Seychelles, who gave a small account of their time as active sportswoman and sportsmen back in the old days, and they are Julie Fayon, Ronald Wong and Daniel Marengo.
Minister St Ange stated that protecting our cultural heritage is the key to having memorable monuments so that people can admire and learn about the past.
To conclude the ceremony there was a competition called ‘Dekouver Nou Leritaz’ inspired by the SBC’s ‘Knock Out’ programme, whereby deciphering clues led to the discovery of heritage sites associated with sports.
Heritage Week is an occasion to not only reflect on the achievements and obstacles in the heritage domain but most importantly it is an opportunity to reconnect with our heritage and embrace the possibilities it offers in the future.
Source : Seychelles NATION