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Young Citizens members rewarded in annual ceremony |24 November 2020

Young Citizens members rewarded in annual ceremony

Awardees and guests in a souvenir photograph

The Vallée de Mai welcomed this year’s Seychelles National Youth Council’s (SNYC) Young Citizens prize giving ceremony on Saturday.

This annual event honours S5 members and long serving facilitators of the programme.

The ceremony was also the opportune time for SNYC to reward Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) staff working at the Unesco World Heritage Site for their continuous support and encouragement.

The ceremony which took place early afternoon, was attended by SNYC board member Ivan Vidot, chief executive Penny Belmont, Vallée de Mai site manager Marc Jean-Baptiste, SNYC inner island coordinator France Ernesta, Young Citizens coordinator Josette Cadence, Young Citizens facilitators, SNYC staff members, students and other invitees.

The Young Citizens Movement which started in 2004 is a youth programme for school children from the ages of 6 to 17.  It currently hosts 7800 members nationally with the aim of nurturing a sense of citizenship, patriotism, nurture life skills and encourage positive character building in youth through a series of activities.

In her address to the attendees, CEO Belmont emphasised the importance of gratitude and particularly expressed her gratitude towards the Young Citizens members and SIF staff for their volunteerism and support. Their devotion does not go unnoticed.

She called on the S5 young citizens members to view the programme as merely the first step in their personal development, as they grow into adulthood.

“There are various programmes available under SNYC and we hope you continue to pursue such programmes which will allow you to further bloom in the future. Make the most of the available opportunities so that you may become an example to your younger peers.”

She also thanked the SIF staff, particularly for their contribution in making the Youth Festival ‘Knock Out’ activity, held in the nature reserve, a success.
Six S5 students from Praslin were rewarded for their active participation and personal dedication towards the programme, despite the fact that many planned activities for 2020 could not take place on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. Each awardee received a certificate and token. Nathanielle Philoe scooped the prize for the ‘Best Member’ but unfortunately, she was absent due to other commitments.

“I have been a member of the Young Citizens Movement for the past 5 years and I have accomplished quite a lot. I have learnt many new values and the importance of applying them in my everyday life. I have also been taught the importance of sharing my new knowledge with other peers.” 16-year-old Amella Gilbert, an awardee, shared how the program has impacted her life.

Loona Charles from the Baie Ste Anne school club also received a token of appreciation for her commitment while the SIF staff each received a certificate of appreciation and the Vallée de Mai received a token of appreciation which was accepted by site manager, Mr Jean Baptiste.

When asked about her impression of the programme, CEO Belmont shared: “The programme aims mainly to teach the youth how to become model citizens through various activities. They learn how to cohabit with others in a society and the importance of volunteerism. This can be in simple acts such as helping an elderly carry their bag. You will be surprised at the number of past members who are leaders in their respective fields today. So, I personally believe it is a good programme which also brings a sense of ‘joie de vivre’ into the youth.”

Having worked with the movement for the past 13 years, Josette Cadence expressed her appreciation of the positive change the programme brings to the lives of young individuals.

“The Young Citizens Movement helps shape a young person into what they wish to be in the society in the future. Today I especially remember one of our past members, Naddy Zialor, who is now a member of the National Assembly. He started with the Young Citizens Movement and then continued with other programmes available through SNYC. He is a very good example of a youth who used all available opportunities to develop himself. Today we see many youths in various key positions in the country who started their journey with the Young Citizens Movement and this speaks of the programme’s success.

Although one of the major setbacks of the movement is the availability of facilitators, Miss Cadence remains hopeful that the programme will continue to touch the lives of Seychellois youth.

She also calls on interested facilitators to come forward and contribute their part in bringing a positive change in the lives of our youth.

A similar ceremony is scheduled to take place this week for Mahé members.

 

Text/Photos: Nadia Bedier

 

 

 

 

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