Up Close … with Lymiah Bibi, lecturer at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) |29 April 2014

‘Seychelles needs Seychellois teachers … Si pa nou lekel!’

By Marylene Julie

“My job entails teaching and providing help to young people who wish to become early childhood teachers. I love my job and enjoy the cooperation of young people and I always look forward to school visits to be with children. According to me becoming a teacher is one of the best services a person can offer his/her country.”

This is how Lymiah Jerina Bibi, a lecturer at the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) at Mont Fleuri, describes her passion for teaching and what she hopes for in this profession.
Lymiah firmly believes that all children should have a solid foundation and receive the best care and education at an early age.

She takes part actively in activities relating to the welfare and well being of children. Such an example is her involvement in the ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) forum. She is currently a member of the ECCE technical team for the Ministry of Education.

“Teaching is a rewarding profession, but it is also full of challenges. Planning and preparing for lectures is very time consuming and research is a key element. Being in class and devoting hours of contact and non-contact time to trainees is of utmost importance. Having said that, I am saddened that nowadays certain young people may not invest the time and energy needed in their studies.

In this day and age where the buzz word is ‘quality of work’, I am also saddened by certain students’ attitudes towards their studies and their lives as a whole. For that, one must be full of patience, understanding and consideration. One must also play many roles – that of a friend, a counsellor, a mentor, an advisor, among others. One of my good qualities is to listen to students and try and help them improve in their studies and be a better individual too!” Lymiah philosophises.

Before lecturing at the SITE, Lymiah worked for the University of Seychelles (UniSey) for four years and the former National Institute of Education (NIE) for 10 years. But before that, she had worked for the Ministry of Education for 20 years. Her field of work is early childhood, an area in which she got her first degree from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia. She has had an interesting journey in becoming the teacher she is today and the challenges she faced throughout those longs years did not discourage her from achieving her goals. She anticipates completing a master’s degree in the same field in the near future.

Lymiah has been living at Pointe Larue for the past 14 years. She has been in a relationship for the past 21 years and have two sons – Randy, 20 and Alvin, 16. Her boys are the joys of her life and she is so protective of them.

She is the eldest child in a family of five – three sisters and a brother – and they were raised by their late grandmother at Belonie.

Childhood memories
“As most of my relatives are from La Digue, I spent almost all my childhood holidays on that island,” recalls Lymiah.
“Although my mother lives on La Digue, I always have her at heart and we always keep very close contact. The sea for me was my playground, so most of my childhood years were spent fishing, swimming and playing with friends on the beach, often running after crabs. My love for the sea almost cost me my life when the boat we once borrowed capsized out at sea. As we were good swimmers, we managed to stay afloat until we were picked up by a passing boat. I got the best hiding of my life and this is something I will never forget!”  Lymiah recounts. Lymiah is a very outgoing person who appreciates nature as well as enjoys the simple things of life.

School days
“My primary school years were spent at the Ste Thérèse primary school (now La Rosière school) and then pursued my secondary education at the Ste Agnes school up to Form 3 (S3). During those years, both schools were run by the sisters of the Ste Elizabeth convent. They were so very strict but they made sure the students studied very hard and learned well.

“I remember my love for French was born then after taking part in several activities organised by Alliance Française des Seychelles. Up till today, I still cherish and consider French as one of the most significant world languages. On the other hand, graduation is always cherished as for me it is a moment in time for those students who have worked hard to make their lecturers proud of them. This is one of my rewards as a teacher. During my career I got plenty of opportunities to travel, attend conferences as well as educational exchanges. One of the most memorable experiences was an education tour to China, where I attended many seminars, visited universities and even climbed the Great Wall!” she reminisces.

Feeling fulfilled
Lymiah believes her life is almost fulfilled by being a parent, a partner and colleague. During her spare time she helps with activities organised by the Wildlife Clubs of Seychelles (WCS) of which she is a board member. Even at a young age she found herself taking care of the environment by helping people understand the importance of protecting the local species.

“Long ago, many of my friends used to kill birds with catapults! I was always horrified and saddened upon finding a dead bird. Today, I am also a wildlife club leader who advocates the protection and conservation of our environment. My hobbies include walking along nature trails, swimming, planting and reading. I am also an amateur photographer sometimes nicknamed ‘Pti Pate’ … I can be found capturing special moments at almost every event. My favourite photographic scenes are views from mountains tops,” says Lymiah.

Always ready to help
Lymiah is active in her district and always ready to offer a helping hand to those in need. Being a member of the Pointe Larue women’s league, she contributes to the well being of the elderly through home visits and other organised activities. As a team they have had some successful stories and one of them was providing help to an elderly lady in regaining her eye sight. Through this process she has been able to gain an insight into the lives of so many needy and ordinary citizens.

‘I have a dream’
Like almost everybody Lymiah also has dreams and wishes.
“If I had the power to change the world, for sure it would be getting rid of all the injustices and corruption that abound. By working together more and using our knowledge and skills, we can help make this world a better place to live. The very words of Martin Luther King ‘I have a dream’ bring to the fore that peace will find itself everywhere in the world. My hopes and dreams are for my beloved Seychelles is first and foremost a sustainable island where people are taking all precautions in preserving it for the many generations to come. Our economy depends greatly on the quality of our environment. Secondly, my dreams are to see my children contribute as decent citizens of this society and leading respectable lives, as well as holding my grandchildren.  Thirdly, I wish many more people would take up a career in teaching. Seychelles needs Seychellois teachers … si pa nou lekel! Finally, I wish to remain in this profession for as long as my health permits and to live long enough to witness more success stories.”
May all your dreams come true Lymiah!