Special Olympics Seychelles reaching out to the community |07 November 2023

In their quest to sensitise the population on available opportunities for people living with a disability and attract more members, the Special Olympics Seychelles recently hosted a series of activities at the Anse Royale court, before ending the day on the beach.

The activities began in the morning with some warming up exercise, followed by a small basketball match.

Part of the Special Olympics Seychelles’ campaign to raise awareness within the community, the activity was to motivate parents to bring their child and get involved with the group.

It was also to contribute in strengthening the community by providing an opportunity for those living with a disability and parents to step out of the house into a friendly and comprehensive environment.

Speaking to Sports NATION, national coordinator for Special Olympics Seychelles, Hellen Ernesta, noted that the objective for such move is to decentralise their activities and bring Special Olympics closer to the community.

“Most of our activities are usually in town and we know that it can be a disadvantage for others who are interested in joining us, which is why we decided to reach out and host activities within the community,” said Ms Ernesta. 

She added that the turnout was not up to their expectations as they were expecting a bigger crowd.

“We only got two new faces which we are delighted. We advertised on the radio to reach out to those who are in the southern region but we received only twelve participants for the activities on Sunday,” said Ms Ernesta who also noted that due to the volunteers working during weekdays, Sunday is the only time they are able to organise such activities, since volunteering is hard to find these days.

She said the parents also were happy to attend, commending them for the initiative, asking for more similar events.

“We are anticipating to go to other communities and to reach out to more parents through door-to-door visits as from next year,” she added.

She once again reminded everyone and urged the parents that the Special Olympics Seychelles welcome them to take part in their activities which she said have a lot of benefits for their child, especially in terms of making new friends, and leaving the house from time-to-time, which is important and will make a difference in their growth and development.

Neil Sirame