NGO Week - Ceps reaching out to the community |26 February 2022
A song performance
The Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (Ceps) will tomorrow wrap up its week-long activities in commemoration of Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) Week which was officially launched on Monday this week.
This year’s NGO week is being celebrated between Sunday February 20, which is also the Social Justice Day and Sunday February 27, the official NGO Day.
The activities are being commemorated under the theme ‘Why do we need NGOs?’
With the aim of getting closer to the community, the opening ceremony was held on Praslin, at the Bahai Centre in Baie Ste Anne. This was in the presence of Ceps chief executive Alvin Laurence; chairperson of Ceps, Françoise Larue; Liaison Officer for Praslin, Vincent Cedras; Baie Ste Anne district administrator Dennis Antat and NGO representatives from Praslin.
The ceremony started with a video presentation highlighting a message from President Wavel Ramkalawan’s inaugural speech into office where he called on Ceps to actively go into the community.
“I want to encourage Ceps and all NGOs to really go to our communities, search for areas of need and encourage them; the society will then respond to your call.”
“I would also like to call on all businesses to please support our NGOs; give them the encouragement needed and through this, they will help you by providing good people and a society where morality reigns and our people live with a purpose; the most important being hard work.”
In her address to the invitees, Ceps chairperson, Mrs Larue, thanked the NGOs for their presence on the day and their hard work in striving to make a difference in the society.
“As we work with the people in our communities we hear the heartbeat of our society. We therefore have a special importance in the society and we play an instrumental role in better human societal development.”
She also called on the NGOs to keep persevering even through the toughest of times.
“Let us keep up our hard work and each bring our vision together. Collaboratively we can bring the voices of each inhabitant forward. Let us identify the gaps in society and help to improve Seychellois lifestyle.”
On his part, Ceps CEO, Mr Laurence, shared: “I am convinced that if you are present today, you have a desire and a passion to see a better society and see how you can make a valuable contribution to that. Keep up your efforts and be even braver in going out in the community.”
Mr Laurence encouraged the NGOs on Praslin, 10 in total, to maintain their efforts and strive even harder with the support of Ceps.
He shared his hopes that this week of activities will touch the people and inspire inhabitants to come together and see how we can create a better society.
The ceremony was animated by youths from The Unique Foundation NGO with reflections and song.
The accompanying photographs show some highlights of the official opening ceremony.
Text by Nadia Bedier
Photos by Romano Laurence
