President’s Village hosts recognition ceremony |04 December 2023

     Time to highlight the children’s efforts

The President’s Village has celebrated the achievements and resilience of its young residents, highlighting the positive stories that often go unnoticed.

This was during a special recognition ceremony held last Saturday at the residence in Port Glaud, which provides a warm and loving home for children at risk in the country.

Christine Reginald, the dedicated programme officer at the President’s Village, spearheaded this event with a vision to inspire and motivate both the children and the community at large.

Currently the village hosts 30 children from the age of two and a half to 17 years old.

According to Ms Reginald, during the year, the President’s Village organised various activities  for the ‘mothers’, the personnel and the residents. The prizes went for best attendance at primary, secondary and post-secondary schools, certificates for various courses and programmes for both residents and personnel and best house award.

“It was important to recognise the efforts of all. We always hear bad things about the children. We want people to know that good things also happen and we want to present the ones who were recognised as a motivation for others. Our residents need to know that we recognise when they also perform well,” emphasised Ms Reginald.

Another major objective of the event was to foster a sense of community involvement. President’s Village recognises that many children in its care experience frustration and a profound sense of loss due to the absence of their parents. “We have found out that they act out as they miss their parents. This time we have sent a proper invitation through social services to all the parents and a few came for the programme.  During the year we want to invite more parents for other activities as it helps with calming them down and they feel supported,” shared Ms Reginald.

The majority of the children at the President’s Village come from neglectful backgrounds, with parents struggling with anti-social behaviour, such as alcoholism, homelessness, and poverty. Some are considered semi-orphans, facing the challenges of life without one or both parents.

However, one of the most heart-wrenching aspects that the programme coordinator highlighted was the broken promises made by parents who fail to attend scheduled visits. “This heartbreak is an unfortunate reality for many children at the President’s Village, but the recognition ceremony aims to change that and celebrate the children's strength and resilience and help get the parents on board,” she said hopefully.

The residents shared their poems during the event and NCC’s chief executive, Yasmin Umarji, congratulated the mothers and residents for the amazing work they are doing at the village, by providing the ideal home with love and care and a family to the children.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the event but unfortunately Seychelles NATION cannot show the faces of the children.

Vidya Gappy

Photos: Louis Toussaint