Caritas Seychelles launches new youth group |27 July 2004

It was in the presence of Catholic bishop Denis Wiehe, invited guests and Caritas members that Caritas Seychelles’ vice-president Rita Savy launched the new youth group during a ceremony last Friday at the Imprimerie St Fidèle building, Victoria.

Mrs Savy said the aim of the new group is to sensitise the youth on the need to follow the bible’s teachings, to spread positive values such as sharing, unity and to live in solidarity with their neighbours and friends.

"The youth must also show love towards one another, especially to those who feel abandoned and rejected by society," she added.

Mrs Savy also said that since former President France Albert René declared 2004 as the year of "moral renaissance", Caritas of Seychelles has decided to bring together young people from various sectors of the population to share positive ideas, love and moral values amongst themselves.

She also said that young people have more zeal and dynamism to take over from those who are growing old and gradually replace them.

For his part, Bishop Wiehe chose to remind those present of the ultimate aim of the Caritas movement.

"The Caritas is a faith-based organisation closely linked to the church and caring for all kinds of distress all over the world. It is to the credit of Caritas Seychelles to have identify special needs in our society among the young who, quite early in life, already suffer some setbacks and find themselves unable to continue at school in the mainstream with the general body of their age group," Bishop Wiehe said.

The ceremony continued with the launching of the new motto – "We the young Caritas gathered in one world to open our hearts for others" – by members of Caritas.

This was followed by their anthem – "Unite all youths" – and various other dance performances and plays.

The young Caritas members, aged between 12 and 25, will participate in the organisation's first activity – a sponsored walk – on July 31.

It is to note that Caritas Seychelles has since 1997 given training in sewing to a number of teenage school drop-outs.

Today, Caritas Seychelles, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, has drafted a number of projects to help youths in need.