Winners of environment competitions rewarded   By Vidya Gappy   |06 November 2023

Group photographs of the winners with guests

The Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment (MACCE) recently rewarded the winners of its various competitions, namely the ‘Recycle Competition’, ‘Small Island Developing States Food Competition’, and the ‘Children and Youth COP 28 Leaders' Messages’.

The event at Backstage restaurant showcased the commitment to environmental sustainability and youth engagement within the community, stated Minister Flavien Joubert.

In the ‘Small Island Developing States Food competition’, Anse Etoile school, representing St Vincent & Grenadines, secured the top spot in the primary category, followed by Mont Fleuri school, representing Grenada, in second place, and Baie Lazare school, representing the Marshall Islands, in third place.

In the secondary school category, Belonie, representing Jamaica, claimed the first prize, with Beau Vallon, representing Kiribati, taking second place, and Praslin, representing the Cook Islands, securing the third prize.

The ‘Children and Youth COP 28 Leaders' Messages’ competition brought forth exceptional young talents. In the primary category, Thea Victorin from Bel Ombre school clinched the first prize, followed by Chloe Mambe from Au Cap in second place, and Oceanne Adonis from Independent School in third place.

In the secondary category, Tracy Giacuiri from English River emerged as the first prize winner, with Riana Gonthier from English River in second place, and Jashlyn Jayachandran and Larissa Jeannevol from Praslin jointly securing the third prize. A special effort prize was also awarded to Mariam Reda from the School of Advanced Level Studies.

Chloe Mambe from Au Cap was recognised as the Best Effort awardee for the primary video competition, while Mielle Belle from NIHSS took home the Best Effort award for the post-secondary video competition.

The ‘creative recycle object’ competition featured five distinct categories. In the small category, Leeshawn Hoareau claimed the first prize, with Vicky Athanase and Paul Quatre securing the second prize. In the ‘medium category’, Natasha Cushion and Abigail Figaro took home the first prize, while Mike Florentine earned the second place, and Natalie Joseph received the third prize.

For the ‘large category’, Cliff Zelia emerged as the first prize winner, followed by Wilby Lenclume in second place, and Laura Guster and Esmee Samson jointly winning the third prize.

The ‘furniture category’ recognised Omera and Mervin Mathieu as the first prize winners, with Wilby Lenclume in the second position and Esther Faulette in third place.

In the ‘alternatives to plastic bags and packaging category’, the winners included Rahna Jules in first place, Michellette Cezar in second position, and Rya Toussaint in third place. These creative entries showcased innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainable practices.

Minister Joubert expressed his appreciation for the enthusiastic participation of the community in these competitions. He emphasised the ministry's commitment to community engagement and fostering the active involvement of young individuals in both local and international environmental initiatives.

“These competitions serve as a platform to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of participants across all age groups, from children to adults. We hope that these recognitions will encourage the participation of others in keeping our environment clean and healthy,” said the minister, stating that this year they received quite a number of participation and more sponsors came on board.

“We want to bring all relevant sectors together so that Seychellois feel that they are part of a bigger venture. We still have many people in the community who do not follow the same ideals about the environment and we want to change that.”

Regarding the small fairs about ‘gro manze’ around the country, Minister Joubert noted that the government's commitment is to promote the planters and their products.

“With these fairs we realise that still production is not enough for the local market. We believe that we need to do more for our people who are producing to be connected with the consumers. Consumers are asking for more and the producers are encouraged to produce more. We are committed to helping the producers connect with the consumers.”

Winner of the furniture category, Mervin Mathieu, a well-known artist using mainly recycling materials, said he was happy for clinching the first prize. The artist had used mainly ropes and buoys for his furniture.

“In the past I used the same materials to make Christmas trees. My upcoming project is to have a restaurant and most of my decorations will be recycled materials. This competition has been educating Seychellois about recycling and this is good,” he said.

Mr Mathieu, however, lamented the fact that foreign companies have recently entered the market to procure these recycled materials, highlighting a concerning trend.

Vidya Gappy

Photos: Louis Toussaint