Rotary District Governor 9220 calls on Vice-President Afif |08 February 2023

VP Afif, Mr Grondin and his delegation in a souvenir photograph after the meeting (Photo: Joena Meme)

Governor of the International Rotary Club District 9220, Yves Grondin, yesterday paid a courtesy visit to Vice-President Ahmed Afif, whereby together they discussed the ways in which the Rotary clubs can help in finding solutions to tackle the various problems and ills faced by the society in Seychelles.

Mr Grondin was accompanied by representatives of the two Rotary Clubs in Seychelles – the Rotary Club of Victoria and Rotary Club Coco de Mer – as well as the Rotaract Club of Mahé, a Rotary club-sponsored organisation of young adults between the ages of 18 to 30.

The dialogue was held with the aim of finding out how exactly local Rotary counterparts can be part of the solution to pressing problems.

“There is no problem that cannot be solved. It is not sufficient to react on the cause effects and to try and erase the problems, but to try and ask the right questions, like why the country is faced with such problems. By posing these questions, we can detect and determine the causes and we need to work on these causes which are the root of the problems we face today,” Mr Grondin said.

“We need to therefore think and act on these causes so that these problems are eradicated in Seychelles in future. We came today to create a partnership between the Rotary and the government,” Mr Grondin noted.

These specific causes may be related to lack of education, unemployment, drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, and others.

President elect of the Rotary Club of Victoria, Marie-Pierre Lloyd, explained that annual visits by the President and District Governors are customary and held with the aim of finding out if the clubs are in need of support, guidance and assistance. The visit is also an appropriate time to discuss the clubs’ strategies and plans in going forward.

The chosen theme for Rotary Clubs for the year is ‘Imagine Rotary’.

The visit to the Seychelles clubs and others falling within District 9220 is part of Mr Grondin one-year mandate.

Mr Grondin arrived in Seychelles on Sunday and has since visited continuous projects being undertaken by the Rotary Club of Victoria, including at the Hospice where they are striving to improve the conditions, while also offering training in palliative care for nurses.

Governor Grondin has also visited the Missionary of Charities at Anse Etoile where the club supports with providing basic daily needs towards ensuring that the elders residing there are able to live a healthy lifestyle, also calling on the chairperson of the Seychelles Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Brigitte Lablache. The Rotary Club of Victoria has assisted the association on numerous occasions in the past, by donating educational Braille items and offering trainings in Braille.

The Rotary Club of Victoria in Seychelles was chartered in 1969.

Rotary District 9220 also covers Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, Mayotte, Djibouti and Comoros.

Laura Pillay