Letter to the Editor - Congratulations to all those who worked towards the success of a noble initiative |01 July 2016

I have read with great pleasure in your newspaper today (yesterday) about the initiative taken by a group of former students of the Seychelles College and of the Regina Mundi Covent to jointly put up a monument in memory of the Brothers of Christians Instructions and the Sisters of the Order of St Joseph de Cluny, who dedicated years of their lives, away from home, to serve our people in the field of valued education.

This expression of recognition and gratitude was long overdue. I would like to offer my appreciation and congratulation to all those who have worked towards the success of this noble initiative.

This (yesterday) morning, SBC TV carried a report on the unveiling of the monument. I was personally impacted by the sense of humour and joy prevailing among those who gathered to pay tribute to their departed teachers. The occasion was also characterised by songs and laughter. This is the way it was at the Seychelles College and the Regina Mundi Convent in those days – and this is the way forward for Seychelles today.

The initiative was a gesture mostly of a group of students who attended the Seychelles College and Regina Mundi Convent after me. I belong to the generation before which included such well-known Seychellois as Leif Larsen, Rolly Baker, French Chang-Him, James Ah-Weng, Eli Bakas, Gerard Maurel and Marcel Coopoosamy.

In 1956, I was head prefect and captain of the Seychelles College football team. Our headmaster at that time was none other than the dearly beloved Brother Austin O’Donnell.

In the SBC report this (yesterday) morning, I was certainly deeply touched to see those gathered singing our old school song, ‘Up and On’. It is the music of ‘Up and On’ which constituted Seychelles first national anthem, ‘En Avant’. But the words of ‘Up and On’ remain as vibrant and as relevant today as ever:

“Lives are in the making here,
Hearts are in the breaking here,
Mighty undertaking here,
Up and On.

We are heading for a fight,
Pressing on with all our might,
Pluming wings for higher flight,
Up and On.

Up boys through us fame,
Lies in high endeavour,
Play the game,
Keep the flame,
Burning brightly ever”.

Yes, we are heading for a fight. Today we, who, have had the benefit of schooling at the Seychelles College and the Regina Mundi, and represent, more or less, the ‘Elite’ of our community, must find the heart and spirit of working together towards national and fraternal harmony and unity as per the appeal of President James A. Michel last (Wednesday) night.

James R. Mancham