New environment club for Port Glaud pupils and students |24 February 2022

Children from the LEAP Junior Club with their teachers

The ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Seychelles, Annett Günther, on Saturday inaugurated a new environment club for pupils and students residing in Port Glaud.

The inauguration of the club, which took place at the Port Glaud primary school, falls under the Locally Empowered Area Protection  (LEAP) project.

The club, known as LEAP Junior, has been set up for primary pupils and secondary students who reside in Port Glaud so that they can learn more about the ocean that surrounds them.

The inauguration of the club follows the launch in the district in December 2020 of the LEAP project aimed at involving the local communities in the management of protected marine areas, especially in Port Launay and Baie Ternay national parks, while they also get to make sustainable effective use of their natural resources for economic benefits.

Present at the club launch on Saturday were the member of the National Assembly for Port Glaud, Hon Egbert Aglae; district administrator, Clarence Confiance; principal secretary for Education, Merna Eulentin; chief executive of Nature Seychelles, Dr Nirmal Jivan Shah; the head teacher of Port Glaud primary school, Shirley Hoareau; a representative from Ministry of Environment, Sophie Morel; among other invitees.

Ambassador Günther said: “The launch of the LEAP Junior club is another important step in the way forward for the LEAP project funded by the German government that aims at bringing together various stakeholders in environmental protection. The LEAP project is so unique because it brings together all stakeholders such as government, local administration, community, young people, scientists and others, everybody who can in their own way contribute to the goals of the project, which is co-management of marine protected areas and the protection of these areas.”

In the Leap Junior, the children will learn about the ocean and its related biodiversity and seascapes, in particular those found in and around the Baie Ternay and Port Launay marine national parks. Its objectives are to educate, guide, and equip children to care for their environment, and to have more positive attitudes towards these resources. It is also to help club members to identify, monitor, and solve environmental problems.

The club has currently attracted 21 young and enthusiastic participants from the primary school.

PS Eulentin said: “The ministry is trying to move towards a holistic approach by encouraging non-academic activities. Therefore, those who are hesitant to join should, as these activities will help them learn more about their environment.”

The children are under the guidance of teachers Ian Nibourette and Jenny Labaleine, and they are supported by the LEAP project’s conservation officers.  The children have participated in several activities that have been organised at the school including in beach clean-ups in the Baie Ternay marine national park. By appreciating the value of the ocean and seascapes, students will be able to develop, and encourage more positive attitudes toward it.

Dr Jivan Shah said: “I feel that this is the generation that will change Seychelles, not only for a better environment but for a better Seychelles. The LEAP project is not only about the environment, it helps people to think about governance and shared responsibility for these resources.”

The LEAP project is bringing the local community together in the district to take part in the management of the two protected areas. In several interactive meetings held in the district, local people have shown a passion for and willingness to contribute to the conservation and management of the marine protected areas (MPAs).   

The LEAP project, in its fourth year, is funded by the International Climate Change Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Republic of Germany, and implemented with technical support of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is part of a regional project with Kenya and Mozambique, which seeks to kick off, for the first time, local involvement in the Baie Ternay and Port Launay marine parks through a co-management process with the designated authority. Nationally, it is supported by the Ministry of Environment and the department of Blue Economy, as well as the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA).

On behalf of his fellow students, Nicholas Savy thanked the school and the LEAP project for giving them the chance to join this fun club.

“We joined this club because we want to learn and experience more of our district’s treasures. In the short time that we have spent with Ms Jenny, Sir Ian, Jack and Rafaela, we have learnt a lot about mangroves, and we are very excited to discover more about all marine life here. Thank you,” he said.

The ceremony ended with a tree-planting activity.

Compiled by Patrick Joubert

Photos courtesy Nature Seychelles