Seychelles Prison Service gets donation of IT books |03 September 2022
The handover of the books
The Seychelles Prison Service has received a set of information and technology (IT) books from the University of Seychelles (UniSey) and the Indian high commission for the benefit of inmates.
The 30 plus books were part of a donation of IT books by the Indian high commission to the UniSey in 2011 to benefit students on the ICT programme. UniSey has found that some of the books were in excess for its ICT programmes and has decided to donate them in collaboration with the donor, whereby the staff and inmates will be able to use them as a foundation learning tool for information and technology.
The books will be placed in the prison’s library for staff and inmates’ references.
It was the Indian charge d’affaire, Vikram Grewal, and the Dean of Faculty, Dr Justin Zelime, who presented the books to the Commissioner of Prison, Raymond St Ange, and inmates Dereck Clarisse and Telma Cecile.
The donation took place on Thursday morning in a short ceremony held at the UniSey ICT centre, Mont Fleuri campus, in the presence of vice-chancellor Joëlle Perreau, and the executive and staff members of UniSey.
In his remarks for the occasion, Dr Zelime said that the donation of these books, which will benefit the staff and inmates, is part of UniSey’s pivotal mandate to not only ensure the education of students at the university but also for the university to be involved in the education of all citizens wherever they are in the community.
He stated that when the university partners with stakeholders, it is not only there to receive but it is also its duty and responsibilityto give.
He noted that while UniSey stands for the future and for the development of technology it also stands for sustaining traditional ways of educating our people and they were very happy to be donating the hard copies of books for traditional learning in the prison.
“So this is a symbol of UniSey’s connection with the community, particularly with the prison service, whereby we do hope that the gesture of sharing the excess books that we have will help to provide opportunities for our brothers and sisters who are in prison so that they will be able to continue with their education,” said Dr Zelime.
Dr Zelime also thanked and reiterated UniSey’s appreciation to the Indian government through the High Commission for continued working collaboration.
For his part, charge d’affaire Grewal thanked UniSey for informing the high commission about the excess books in its possession and for the invitation to participate in the donation.
He added while the traditional ways of education is still being believed in and practiced here, the commission is seeking opportunities for working collaboration with UniSey in the digital knowledge economy space.
“With the pandemic behind us, hopefully we will have many more opportunities to explore with the University of Seychelles,” said charge d’affaire Grewal.
Mr St Ange said that these books will be of great importance to the prison as every inmate deserves a second chance if they learn, they reconcile and they improve and prove themselves.
He thanked UniSey and the Indian high commission for the donation that will add to the prison’s learning and education programme.
Text & photos by Patrick Joubert
