Disaster relief fund gets more contributions |01 April 2013

The presentations were made to the funds’ chairperson Lekha Nair in the presence of fund members Colette Servina and Alain De Commarmond.

Indian Ocean Tuna (IOT) MW Brands tuna cannery, represented by human resources manager Helda Port Louis, donated a cheque for 10,000 euros (R150,000).

Telecommunications company Airtel, represented by its head for public relations and regulatory affairs, Gail Talma-Jumeau, made a donation of R100,000.

This was followed by Emirates Airlines, represented by sales manager Denise Rassool and finance manager Lisa Chetty who contributed US $5,000 (R60,000).

JJ Spirit Foundation’s executive director Eddie Charles donated the entire cash prize of R35,000 received as winner of the best local float in February’s third Carnaval International de Victoria.

Another donor was the third cohort of the Seychelles Young Leaders programme.
Thanking the donors Mrs Nair said that with the five donations, the fund now stands at just over R40.3 million.

She said disbursements have begun to help families rebuild their homes and farmers rehabilitate their farms.

She said other expenditure will go towards rehabilitation and reconstruction of various infrastructures such as roads, retaining walls and burst water storage systems and septic tanks.

Ms Nair also said the fund will be used to help victims of any disasters that might occur in future, adding that “luckily Seychelles usually enjoys good weather and disasters of that scale are rare”.

Some of the donor companies, notably Airtel and IOT MW Brands said that some of their staff have also been affected by the disaster and they are being helped, in addition to the contributions to the fund.

Mr Charles told Nation that immediately after winning the prize for the best local float at the Carnaval International de Victoria in February the foundation’s board members met and unanimously decided to donate the prize to help those in distress.