Council marks Indian Ocean Youth Day 2013 |14 December 2013

The Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) celebrated the Indian Ocean Youth Day 2013 on Thursday under the theme ‘Youths, actors in development’ in a special assembly at the Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) at Providence.

Among guests present were SNYC’s chief executive Vicky Van der Westhuizen, Youth principal secretary Alain Volcère and SIT director Jean Rassool.

The highlights of the assembly were the reading of the Indian Ocean Youth Day message from the President of the CJSOI (Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Ocean Indien), Minister Satyaprakash Ritoo, and an inspiring testimony by Mathieu Sinon, a 23-year-old ex-SIT student who has successfully completed his studies and is excelling in his current career as an architectural technician. His testimony was aimed at boosting up morale and motivate the students of the institution to greater heights.
 
In her introductory remarks Mrs Van der Westhuizen told the students that they should feel really special as it was their institution which was chosen as the venue for the Indian Ocean Youth Day ceremony.

She noted that during the second week of the month of December each year, the CJSOI chooses a date to celebrate the Indian Ocean Youth Day and this year the event falls today (December 14).

“Each time the day is being celebrated there is a message from the President of the CJSOI which is read to the youths present. We have chosen the Seychelles Institute of Technology to pass on the message to other youths either in their community, in schools, at home, in fact to other youths in general,” said  Mrs Van der Westhuizen.

In his message for the occasion -- read by a 16-year-old S5 student of the English River secondary school, Axelle Bodwell -- Mr Ritoo said he wanted to address the youths in particular on this day by sending them a message of solidarity and hope.

He said that in their respective countries, youths less than 35 years old represent an important part of the population. They are the ones who have the future of their country in their hands and to whom the older generation leaves its heritage.

“For some youths this heritage is full of uncertainties and difficult to live:  unemployment among the youths is a great preoccupation and added to this are the difficulties that many young people go through to find their place in society and build their life. But these young people do not give up and are very determined to participate and build their future,” said Mr Ritoo in his message.

He pointed out that this determination is visible in their participation in their community, cultural and sports activities, in the economy and in their professional lives.

Concerning the importance of protecting our planet and the necessity for sustainable development and the youths being the principal actors in them, Mr Ritoo said human is supreme when reflecting on development.

“As the wealth of a country is not only based on its national domestic product, development will only be sustainable if each and everyone is given his place in society, gives importance to all social associations while preserving the cultural values,” said the President of the CJSOI.

His message concluded by saying it is in that area that he would like the youths to participate and expressed his trust in the future the youths are constructing.

As for Mathieu Sinon, the ex-SIT student who has his own architecture business, he advised his fellow youths to always have a Plan B in life in case they do not succeed in the first one. This was exactly what happened to him and what he had to do when Plan A, which was his dream of becoming a pilot, failed due to an accident along the training path.

He then took up a career in the construction industry and today he has his own business in this field.

He advised his colleagues to really know what they want to be, stay focus and they will get there.