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Quick Chat with the Minister for Family Affairs, Mitcy Larue |21 December 2019

Quick Chat with the Minister for Family Affairs, Mitcy Larue

Minister Larue

 

‘Make it a Christmas about families’

 

During the festive season, our attention is drawn to the family unit. It is a fact in Seychelles that many children are being raised in families with a single parent around. The Ministry of Family Affairs through its mandate encourages the parents to be present for the child and help raise a better society by being better role models. Seychelles NATION brings you excerpts of a chat we had with the Minister for Family Affairs, Mitcy Larue.

 

Seychelles NATION: What is the spirit of Christmas for you minister?

Minister Larue: It is a time for reflection, a time for joy, love, peace, sharing, respect and unity in families, communities, work places and in the country.

 

Seychelles NATION: As Minister for Family Affairs what message do you have for the families for Christmas?

Minister Larue: I will like all families to relook at their role and responsibilities as mother, father, children and all parents; also for them to remember that families are the pillar of society. If the family is strong and solid, definitely we will have a strong, solid and positive society. Everything starts in the family. My message to the families is to take time with your family and spend time with them such as sit and eat together, watch TV together and go out together. We have to listen attentively to the needs of our children and act upon it. The families should also try to instill good values in the family such as love, respect and compassion. The families should ensure they attend school and complete their studies through guidance. Show respects to all around you and share together what is possible and create an environment where unity and love prevail at all times. Take a moment and reflect on what went wrong and also on the goods things that happen in the family during the year. If there is a need for you to go and ask for forgiveness and to reconcile between families, then do that and bring in the love and joy among yourselves so that your children will live in a safe and positive environment.

 

Seychelles NATION: What have been the major challenges of the families in Seychelles?

Minister Larue: There are various challenges in various types of families. We have challenges facing some single parents who lose control over their teenagers aged 12 years and above. They lose control as these single parents mostly do shift work and when the children are home there is no one at home. This is when the children are free to experiment and do bad things. And then there are social scourges like various addictions, drugs and alcohol. All these happen at home, where parents do not know these are happening as they are not home. There is also sexual abuse and lack of financing from the fact that one of the parents does not want to work. We still have challenges with some people who refuse to work.

Adding to that is the housing problems. Most of the problems people talk to me are housing problems, but at Family Affairs we do not offer houses! I am here to listen to them and assist them with proper documentation. Some people who come see me have not even made an application or contributed towards a house. I advise them to do that so that they can be put on the list. There are some help that we provide like working with PMC to look for rented houses.

Another challenge we found out is that people are not planning their family. Teenage pregnancy is still prevalent and it is sad. If a family is taking care of their children, the children will know that sex is not an option and their studies come first. The young people need to understand that they have to be economically independent before having a child. Most of the cases in teenage pregnancies are that the boy/man ran away. I always advise the women to make sure that when they enter a relationship they have to make sure that it is serious and sustainable. The mother and the father should be the role model for the children in order to have a better society.

 

Seychelles NATION: What should we do as a society to reinforce our families?

Minister Larue: As a society we must all work towards minimising all the negative actions around us so that we have positive impact on ourselves, as individuals and as communities. The moment we get the negative mind, everything turns out to be negative. We have to work together as the welfare of the society is not only the family affairs. It is a collective effort. Everybody – non-governmental organisations, the government, the community – should work together to strengthen what is there and we build on that. Better families mean better society.

 

Seychelles NATION: What is your wish for the families of Seychelles?

Minister Larue: My wish is peace, love and happiness. At the same time I wish that a family should have a mother, father and children living together so that they can take care of the children and be the role model. Educate the children and cultivate in them the good values so that the next generation will be a better one. Our families should work hard to sustain their families. Let the communication be strong within the family and accompany your children throughout their school years. Another caution is to check the activities of the children on social media. For the parents who are already cultivating good values in their children, I ask them to continue, remain strong and focus and to help others in the community.

In conclusion, I would like to wish all the families all the best, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2020. Together, hand in hand we will make a difference.

 

Compiled by Vidya Gappy

 

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