30 children from President’s Village get National Day treat at Club Med |30 June 2022
A great atmosphere for the National Day
‘The more we share happiness, the more we are happy…’ is a saying that applies so well to emotional moments that the management, employees, and guests of Club Med Seychelles felt when they greeted 30 children from the President’s Village on National Day.
This event promoted by the Club Med Foundation, the social arm of the worldwide resort group, was its first initiative launched in Seychelles.
This was made possible by a fruitful partnership between the Foundation and the National Council for Children (NCC) together with the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA) and Teddy’s Glass Bottom Boat.
The kids departed Mahé at Club Med jetty near Quatre Cocos jetty and were warmly welcomed by the Club Med chef de village, Youssef Tobrouki, and his entire team upon arrival at the resort.
The treat could start with the eyes of the young guests glowing despite the dull weather. They were then invited for a welcoming drink in the event theatre of the resort where they could meet other employees.
“The welcoming was such that we immediately felt at home,” said Linda Freminot, an officer from the President’s Village who accompanied the children.“We were treated as real guests, and we were so overwhelmed by this 5-star during the whole afternoon.”
The children were guided to some strategic sites on the island by Demien Mougal, an officer of the SPGA where different aspects of the ecological set-up of Sainte Anne were explained. The nesting of some rare bird species, the sea turtle sanctuaries and the rich biodiversity of the island were some topics shared with the children.
Twelve-year-old Jerome was so pleased to discover the green aspect of the island: “I did not realise how precious Sainte Anne is for its natural treasures and its historical importance. When you see the island from Mahé, I can now understand why this island is so attractive.”
The Club Med team then took over to offer a National Day treat to their young guests. Outdoor activities started to mobilise the whole group with the employees taking all the time to initiate the kids to several games that are usually offered to the children of the guests at the mini club.
“We wanted to greet our young friends just as we treat our guests,” chef de village Youssef said. “This is a moment of pure joy for us as it is the first time that we have such an event with the Seychellois children. I am more than convinced that it will not be the last one. We are so thrilled as their presence gives us this unique opportunity to share happiness.”
The children were then invited to a well-deserved buffet where snacks and drinks were served by the Club Med team and each guest enjoyed the leisurely atmosphere and the food that was served.
This was followed by a musical show and traditional dances where the hotel guests were invited to participate.
Later, more outdoor games were organised for the children and with the residing guests’ kids joining for a very friendly group.
The children were shuttled back to Mahé in the late afternoon.
Maria, 12 years old, was thrilled by this experience: “I felt so proud to be part of the first group of activities that the Foundation is organising in Seychelles. I will always think about this precious moment whenever I look at the island from far way.”
And her eight-year-old friend Anelie was even more impressed by the setting and the welcome: “The resort organised so many activities for us and we were taken good care of during our stay at the resort. I spent a marvellous time on the National Day!”
Already present in Mauritius since many years, the Club Med Foundation is now extending its actions to the Club Med resort of Seychelles, opened in April 2021. In April 2022, a team comprising Nathalie Prost, the Foundation's head of operations; Sophie Goulfier, coordinator for the Indian Ocean region and Carol Gabriel, Safe Together manager at Club Med Seychelles, met with some local associations involved in actions in favour of the environment and education for young people in precarious situations. As such, several social actors were able to explain their objectives and needs which could warrant common actions for potential joint projects.
“Since 1978, the Club Med Foundation mobilises Club Med’s teams and resources for the benefit of solidarity projects near its resorts and offices around the world,” Sophie Goulfier explains. “The Foundation is committed to support vulnerable children and protect the environment. Its priorities are to provide greater access to education and recreation for all and to preserve biodiversity. Since 2018, more than 2,000 Club Med employees are committed to contribute to the Foundation’s programmes in 25 countries through 260 inspiring initiatives. Consequently, every year, our colleagues act, under the supervision of the Foundation, in the areas of child welfare in the local area of the resorts or the business units, throughout the world.”
In Seychelles, Miss Goulfier says Club Med Foundation has started to meet some associations and other social partners to devise ways and means to promote the welfare of vulnerable children and to participate in the actions in favour of the environment.
“Indeed, we are well under way to increase our initiatives with our Seychellois partners. We are so happy that this first action could be launched on the occasion of the National Day. We must pay tribute to the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority for this successful partnership which is one of the actions that the resort is set to organise jointly with the SPGA in future. We are also ever so grateful to Teddy’s Glass Bottom for their logistical assistance for shuttling the kids to the resort on Sainte Anne island. I would like to pay tribute to Yasmin Umarji, chief executive of the National Council for Children for facilitating this event with her usual sense of understanding and caring.”
Contributed
