SIAH students get farming experience on outer island   By Patrick Joubert   |10 February 2022

The four students with Mr Coopoosamy (left) and Mrs Moses before taking the plane to Desroches (Photo: Joena Meme)

Four students from the Seychelles Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture (SIAH) are on Desroches Island to gain firsthand experience working in agriculture on an outer island.

Their attachment training programme has been organised by the Islands Development Company (IDC) in collaboration with SIAH.

It is the first time that IDC has partnered with SIAH to conduct such a training programme for agriculture students on the outer islands.

Apart from the work experience, it is also an opportunity for the young aspiring farmers to live and enjoy island life.

Kelvyn Gonzalves (18 years old), Dylan Lusta (17), Alvin Pauline (18) and Azarius Adrienne (18) were flown to the island yesterday morning. They will spend a month on Desroches acquiring work-based experience in agriculture which will involve both livestock and crop farming.

The four students said they chose to go to Desroches to gain more experience in their field of study and also to have a taste of life on a small island.

They added that it will be an opportunity also to test their abilities and potentials gained in their studies at the institution.

They said they will make the most of the opportunity offered and they expect everything to come out positive.

SIAH’s registrar, Lindy Moses, said that it was the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment who came up with the initiative to expose our young farmers to agriculture on the outer islands in a bid to encourage them to continue to work in the sector on the outer islands, or elsewhere, after leaving the institution.

With the scarcity of agricultural land on our main islands, she said that the work attachment is also to inculcate in the students the need to displace, and at times very far, to work for continued production of agricultural produce for the country.

Mrs Moses said that the institution will be looking for further training with IDC for other students as most (especially female students) have shown interest to gain the work experience on the outer islands. 

She explained that IDC has no facilities to accommodate female students and this is the reason why there are no females in the group.

She noted that IDC is working on facilities to accommodate female students on future work attachments to be conducted.

Michel Coopoosamy, the company’s islands development manager, said that the work attachment for the students is part of IDC’s strategic plan to encourage young Seychellois to join the company and take up employment on the islands. He noted that the request by SIAH to send students on work experience on the outer islands was a welcome boost to the company’s strategic plan.

Mr Coopoosamy said that the students will be in good hands as Desroches has a team of experienced personnel in livestock and crop farming.

He added that IDC is bearing all the expenses, including R1000 allowance to each student to spend in the island’s shop.

He noted that IDC always welcomes good initiatives and that from SIAH is one of them.

Both Mr Coopoosamy and Mrs Moses accompanied the students to Desroches before returning the same day in the afternoon.  

Desroches Island is being managed by Marisa Henriette.