Penlac comes forward once again to assist the President’s Village |13 November 2020

A souvenir photograph to mark the occasion

As it has done in previous years, Penlac came to the rescue of the President’s Village once again this year with a generous donation of “periwinkle” paint, in preparation for the Christmas season.

For those of you who are not familiar with the psychology of colours, periwinkle is a special mix of light blue and lilac colour; it is a cool toned pastel colour that somehow tends to have a calming effect on children’s mood, especially boys. That is why we understand that particular colour was chosen from Penlac’s Colour Chart by the director of the President’s Village, Brigitte Balette, and her team.

This substantial donation of paint shows us that, even in these troubled times, there are people and companies who take their corporate social responsibility seriously and are willing to give something back to civil society.

Penlac through its chairman & managing director, Gafoor Yakub, has been instrumental in making this a reality for the residents of the President’s Village. He acknowledged that it is not always easy to give much in this time of belt-tightening and uncertainty. But he said he consulted his Penlac team and decided to make some sacrifices and assist the President’s Village because after all “we’re all in this together”.

The paint products donated to the President’s Village have the sole purpose of being used to repaint and re-do the old paint work in the different houses and the children’s bedrooms. It is a well-known fact that colours can have a positive or negative effect on a child’s moods or behaviour. So, the choice of cool, pastel colours like the light baby blue tone in the “periwinkle” colour can help the children sleep well and make their rooms feel spacious and relaxing. Neutral colours like white, beige and grey can also make a person feel calm and tranquil.

Two representatives of Penlac were present at the official handing-over of the donation of paints at the President’s Village on Tuesday this week. Penlac’s chief operations officer, Nixon Albert, was accompanied by one sales assistant, Sophia Jumaye, who made a short presentation on behalf of Penlac.

She said: “The children of the President’s Village deserve attention, love and appreciation just as any other children. We see this as an opportune time for this donation given that the festive season is fast approaching. We want to show the children that they have not been forgotten. We hope that with the new coat of paint, more serenity will be brought into the lives of the children this Christmas.”

The NCC, which oversees the President’s Village, acknowledged the partnership it has established with the company over the years and thanked Penlac for its generous donation with hopes of an even more prosperous and fruitful collaboration in the foreseeable future.

To wrap up the short handing-over ceremony, the director of the President’s Village, Brigitte Balette, and other NCC staff present took the two representatives of Penlac on a small guided tour around the Village premises to see the refurbishment works being done in preparation for the festive seasons.

This year marks 35 years of the Penlac company being in operation. It is a local manufacturing industry that prides itself on maintaining consistency and high quality and on being 100% Seychellois, offering steady employment to over 40 Seychellois staff, most of whom have been with the company for two decades or more.

Laura Pillay