First National Awards presentation ceremony   |28 June 2023

Recipients (or their representatives) of the different awards in a souvenir photograph with members of the National Awards Committee

10 Seychellois citizens,

two entities honoured

By Sunny Esparon

For the first time ever in the history of Seychelles a group of Seychellois citizens deserving of recognition by virtue of their extraordinary and meritorious service to Seychelles in various fields of endeavour, or acts of bravery, have been honoured.

This was through a National Awards presentation ceremony held at State House yesterday evening.

The awards comprise the Medal of the Republic, Medal of Honour, Medal of Merit and the Pride of the Republic of Seychelles Award.

The Medal of the Republic was awarded to President Wavel John Charles Ramkalawan in accordance with Section 7(7) of the National Awards Act 2022 which states “On the commencement of this Act, the incumbent President shall, at the first investiture ceremony, be conferred the Medal of the Republic of Seychelles by the Chief Justice”.

The same award was also bestowed on the founding President of Seychelles, the late Sir James Richard Marie Mancham, who was knighted in 1976 by the Queen as an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His widow, Lady Catherine Mancham, and son Alexander Mancham received the medal on his behalf.

The Medal of Honour was awarded to Caroline Abel who was the first woman in Seychelles to be appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles on March 14, 2012. Throughout her 28-year career, Ms Abel has received several accolades for her leadership roles. In July 2015, Ms Abel was awarded the African Female Public Servant of the Year Award by the African Leadership Magazine.

The late Archbishop Emeritus French Kitchner Chang-Him also received the award which was accepted by his daughters Frances Chang-Him and Michelle Chang-Him on his behalf. The career of the Archbishop led him to be the first Seychellois Anglican Bishop and the First Seychellois Archbishop.

The late Antonio Johny Constance also received the Medal of Honour due to his dedicated work of science on Aldabra. He loved to work and set high standards for himself and put 100% effort into whatever task was at hand. His widow, Alda Constance, received the award on his behalf.

The final person to receive the Medal of Honour was Luc Jean-Claude Grandcourt who’s dream was to follow in his father’s footsteps as a sailor. On Tuesday August 12, 1976, Mr Grandcourt skippered the schooner ‘Ero’ to Mahé, but unfortunately on the way, the boat encountered difficulties, but due to Luc’s courage, all the passengers were saved.

The Medal of Merit was awarded to Bernard Harry Marcel Dingwall for his long time and regular blood donations.

The late Helen Flora Fontaine also received the Medal of Merit for her great contribution in the medical vocation as a theatre nurse. Her daughter, Johanne Pragassen, received the medal on her behalf.

The late Regina Melanie received the Medal of Merit for her contribution in the documentation and promotion of the Kreol language. Her daughter Chantale Melanie received the medal on her behalf.

The final person to receive the Medal of Merit was Joseph Antoine Adolphe Samy who was awarded for his great contribution in the promotion of Seychellois music as an entertainer.

The two entities which received the Pride of the Republic of Seychelles Award was the Ministry of Health and The Red Cross Society of Seychelles. Both were recognised for their efficient dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

In his speech, the chairman of the National Awards Committee, Robert Grandcourt, stated that each proposal was evaluated by every member of the Committee. “The proposals were a catalogue of dedication, humanism, devotion, heroism and the love of our country and our fellow citizens.”

He continued by explaining that with the recommendations to the Chancellor of the Order, it was not just a matter of selecting those qualified for them, but the most deserving among them.

In addition, Mr Grandcourt noted that the Awards ceremony is only the beginning of a yearly event, and the National Award Committee will endeavour to submit another list of qualified candidates for next year’s ceremony and after.

For his part, President Ramkalawan stated that the entire ceremony was a dream for the country to recognise those who have rendered their service, those who have given their time and those who have given of themselves.

“Over the years there have been people who have become great but sadly, they left without the country recognising them,” he stated.

“One of the old ideas that we shared was that we need to recognise them and we need to say thank you and we need to give due respect to those who give of themselves.”

Furthermore, the President noted that the ceremony recognises the Seychellois people for what they have done and what they have achieved and these people can become symbols for the thirst of an idol from the younger generation.

“For me it is unfortunate that so many of these people who have been awarded today have left us but I am happy at the same time that their memories are not gone forever.”

To conclude, President Ramkalawan stated that it is important to say thank you to people while they are still breathing and to recognise them early on before they are taken from the world.

Governor Abel expressed her emotions to the press after the ceremony, citing that the award means someone who has worked hard throughout the years.

“When I heard the description, especially during the Covid years, I have brought an educational message for the public to make them understand the economic environment,” she stated. “I will say today that when I meet the public, they tell me that they understand better the reality of the economy and the financial system.”

She stated that she did not have the expectation that she would be one among the people winning the medal however she noted that the approach that the public has taken since 2020, there was the appreciation. “Since the public are the ones who submit the nominations, I think that through that interaction they contributed towards my being an awardee.”

Governor Abel sent a message to the youth, imploring them to concentrate on their education to be able to get a good career in the future.

Mr Grandcourt (Robert) explained that there was a lot of publicity with around 51 people who were nominated. “It is like you are reading a history of every good thing that has happened in Seychelles. I believe that this has touched my heart.”

He continued by explaining that there was the filtration process through the nominees for those who were merited. “In 50, there are a lot who merit it, more than what we see today.”

After the filtration process, the ones remaining are sent to the Chancellor of the Order and then there is feedback and then a discussion ensues to make a final decision.

Mr Grandcourt expressed that the only challenge that they faced was that the law was passed a little bit late and the appointment was late. “We were given 30 days before the Independence Day celebrations to present the nominations and we could not do that so we recommended to the President that we wait until this year.”

Mr Samy was thrilled upon receiving the award, citing that if he had let himself go he would never have received it. He explained that everything he had done for Seychelles, he was not necessarily doing it with awards in his mind, but rather for the love of his country.

“When I learnt that I got the award, I got a lot of feelings for a lot of things. When I heard about the criteria, I thought to myself, Joe you did that, Joe you did this and I deserved the award. I did a lot of things. But I did not do it with the intention of winning an award. It has given me a lot of self confidence.”

He encourages his compatriots in Seychelles and his friends to strive for the best. “You never know, one day you might be recognised and an award like this, you can never imagine what type of joy and confidence and willingness to continue to do things that you get.”

He concluded by stating his medal is not only for himself, but the recognition of the Seychellois people and the hard work that they have put in.

Photos by Joena Meme