Rotary club treats orphans to island getaway |29 December 2020

Island life taught him to open his eyes to the beauty around him and up until his final years Brandon Grimshaw made sure that everyone had a chance to experience his beloved home, Moyenne Island.

As part of its annual community engagement programme the Seychelles Rotary Club yesterday treated a group of boys from Foyer de Nazareth and a group of girls from Foyer de la Providence to a picnic and tour on Moyenne island.

“Every year we treat the kids at both orphanages to a special day out. This year with the help of Teddy’s glass bottom boat, who provided free transportation, we were able to take them to Moyenne Island,” said Charlie Ng, member of Rotary Club.

He added that in the past they had taken kids to airplane rides around the country.

The day started with a hike where the children were given a chance to interact with the wildlife present on the island, mainly tortoise and ducks. A rare treat for many was seeing a peacock for the first time.

Besides the animals, another high point of the hike was the lush nature reserve which includes different species of plants and trees that were planted by Mr Grimshaw himself some 60 years ago.

Over the years Moyenne has been the home of many interesting figures, the first inhabitants of the island were children of freed slaves who lived on the highest point of the island for decades. They would later sell it for 301 rupees.

Another figure the kids learned about was the lady who adopted 70 dogs while she lived on the island. However what caught everyone’s attention was the story about a buried treasure that was brought to the island by pirates.

The children also got a chance to see the church and the burial place of Mr Grimshaw and his father.

The visit ended on the beach where everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by Jolly Roger restaurant.

Speaking to Seychelles NATION, Sister Ravoniniaina Marie Jeannine, from Foyer de Nazareth, said that the day was filled with new discoveries as it was the first time they visited the island.

“The kids enjoyed themselves, and this is thanks to the Rotary Club as they are our faithful partners who always plan something special for the kids every Christmas,” she said.

The sister added the highlight of the trip was the hike where she and the children were able to learn about the history of the island as well as interact with the wildlife.

The sisters from Foyer de la Providence echoed the same sentiments as Sister Jeannine and thanked everyone involved in organising and making the trip special.

Late afternoon the children and their caretakers headed back to Mahé after a day of unforgettable memories thanks to the Rotary Club and in some part Brandon Grimshaw.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the group’s visit to Moyenne.

Christophe Zialor

Photos: Jude Morel