Esamarks third anniversary with blood donation drive |06 August 2021
Mr Collie and Mrs Deltel giving blood (Photo: Joena Meme)
The Enterprise Seychelles Agency celebrated its third anniversary yesterday with a blood donation drive at the Camion Hall, in Victoria. This event was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
Angelique Appoo, chief executive of Enterprise Seychelles Agency (Esa), an entity within the Ministry of Investment, Entrepreneurship and Industry, noted that due to the current restrictions they could not organise a celebration and saw it best to hold this blood donation drive.
“This initiative is in response to the need for blood in our country and the desire to help our staff participate in more community service activities,” said CEO Appoo.
Seychelles NATION spoke to two individuals ‒ Roy Collie and Fabiona Deltel‒ who gave blood yesterday and they told us why such a gesture is important.
“I came here because Esa falls under our ministry and I found it ideal to support this campaign. It is also a positive deed for our population and if we all think and do things in the spirit of positivity, everything will work well,” said Mr Collie, chief executive of the Industrial Estates Authority.
As for Ms Deltel, she was a regular blood donor in South Africa where she gave almost 50 pints. “I also gave blood here for a gentleman requiring it for medical reasons. Now I am participating in this drive. I feel fine each time I give blood and think it is a good thing one can do. We need more blood donors and more of these drives. Hospital is sometimes hard to go to. As long as your health is good, please donate blood,” said Ms Deltel.
Eddie Kilindo, senior laboratory technician and a blood donor recruiter, noted that there is always a demand for blood. He noted that through these drives they are able to increase the inventory to a safe operating level.
Talking about the role of Esa, Ms Appoo explained that following the transition from Senpa to Esa, things have changed and their mission also has changed. More and more people are coming to Esa and our mission is to provide the foundations for the enhancement of the entrepreneurs, to assist the enterprises in the early steps of the business life-cycle and to support the expansion and growth of the Seychellois micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME)
Esa, which employs 30 staff, is mandated to implement policies and strategies of government relating to MSMEs and provide them with the necessary services and support.
Ms Appoo also added that since the pandemic started, Esa has been assisting small and medium businesses to fill in their forms and also assisting start-up businesses.
Additionally, there was a display based on healthy living, precisely about natural remedies on healthy food by the Seventh Day Adventist. Gemma Changty-Young explained that the theme of the exposition is ‘New Start’, adding that they used to work with Senpa to do such activities.
“Today isalso a health screening day for the public where they will get the chance to know if they have a healthy lifestyle. We asked permission from the Ministry of Health to hold this display by respecting all health guidelines,” she said.
Vidya Gappy
