Quick chat with Georgette Hoareau D’Offay, creator of a group on social media |21 March 2020

‘The main aim of our group is to support each other in rough times’

With 2410 active members online, during this trying time, a group on social media – the ‘Disaster Information and Communication Group Seychelles’ – is trying to keep Seychellois updated on relevant information regarding the development of the COVID-19. Seychelles NATION had a chat with the person behind the initiative, Georgette Hoareau D’Offay, to know more about the group.

Seychelles NATION: When did you start the group and why?

Georgette Hoareau D’Offay: I started the group on November 27, 2019. It was an idea of mine, after creating community crime watch Seychelles and saw how successful it had become. I realised that if we have any disaster here regarding mostly weather, fire and other acts of God, we are always left in the dark and I thought it would be good to help the population know what is going on.

Seychelles NATION: Did you imagine that this group will be used intensely?

Georgette Hoareau D’Offay: Never in my life would I have known that COVID-19 would really need this group. And give information and keep in constant contact with them with updated and genuine info. We do not entertain political or religious posts in our group. We offer advice as much as we possibly can.

Seychelles NATION: Do people contact you by private messages or calls also?

Georgette Hoareau D’Offay: We receive a lot of phone calls and messages and try our best to help, often forwarding complaints to other institutions. When I started the group we had the bad winds and rain around November/ December and we felt through proper dissemination of information and close linking to meteorological services we were able to help each other out and sort of stay calm.

Compiled by Vidya Gappy