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Dan Kafe housing estate welcomes first residents By Patrick Joubert |18 July 2020

Dan Kafe housing estate  welcomes first residents     By Patrick Joubert

President Faure inspecting one of the units (Photo: Louis Toussaint)

Twenty-four families yesterday afternoon received the keys to their new homes at Dan Kafe, La Gogue, Anse Etoile during a short ceremony to also officially open the new housing estate.

President Danny Faure and the Minister for Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport Pamela Charlette officially unveiled the commemorative plaque to open the estate.

The 16 three-bedroom and eight two-bedroom units were completed during the first week of July 2020 at a cost of R32.5 million. Construction work on the Dan Kafe housing estate started in October 2018 by the Fuiri Construction Company.

The three blocks of flats have been constructed on a playing field and it had encountered certain constraints in its construction phase due to constant flooding in the area. The restriction of movements during the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed towards delaying the project.

The Ministry for Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport also had to build another playing field a few metres away for the youths in the area to replace the old one.

Also present to witness the happy moment were the Minister of Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, member of the National Assembly for Anse Etoile Ahmed Afif, principal secretary for infrastructure Yves Choppy, principal secretary for housing Denis Barbé, principal secretary for social affairs Linda William Melanie, chief executive of the Property Management Company (PMC) Evelina Antha, Anse Etoile district administrator Jenna Dubignon and the general manager of Fuiri Construction David Ding.

Due to social distancing measures, the happy recipients received their keys in an envelope before the start of the ceremony and all those present for the ceremony had to wear masks. The traditional blessing of the units was also not held as a precautionary COVID-19 measure. The residents were called upon to organise for their houses to be blessed.

Addressing all present, Minister Charlette said that even though government is putting a lot of effort in addressing housing issues in the country, it still remains a challenge. She added that it is for that reason that President Faure launched the 24-24 housing project in 24 districts, to accelerate construction at district level for the benefit of the inhabitants on the housing list.

“Our work to find solutions for the 130 applicants still on the housing list for Anse Etoile district continues. It is for that reason also that government is finalising work on the 3,000 houses project as announced by President Faure in his state-of-the-nation address,” Minister Charlette said, noting that government is fully engaged in seeking solutions to address housing needs in the country even though it is facing economic difficulties.

Minister Charlette stated that another site has been identified at La Gogue for another housing project to benefit those still on the waiting list.

A recipient, Jeline Bamboche expressed gratitude to President Faure and the government for helping the Seychellois people in need of a house and called on her fellow neighbours to live in harmony and to make it their responsibility to keep the estate clean and tidy and free from anti-social behaviour.

Following the inauguration of the three blocks of flats, President Faure and his delegation were led on a tour of the housing estate. The estate is also equipped with a small playground housing two twin seesaws for children.

Thirty-four-year-old Hazel Labodo from Anse Etoile said it came as a shock to her when she learned that she was going to be the recipient of one of the units.

“I have been waiting for over ten years now and for the past few years I had been renting homes. I am very happy to receive my two-bedroom flat,” said the mother of two children.

“It’s more spacious for my family. I have been living in a ghetto style house at Maldives with another family. But it has always been my dream to have a place of my own with my husband and three children,” said 35-year-old Valerie Dufrene, who had been waiting for a house for over 14 years.

Since the start of the 24-24 housing projects in 24 districts in 2017, the inauguration of the 24 housing units at Dan Kafe yesterday brings to 376 the number of housing units that have been allocated so far.

 

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