VP Faure meets retirees and thank them for their loyalty |16 May 2014

Vice-President Danny Faure yesterday met ten retired public service workers to thank them for their loyalty and long years of service.

It has been a tradition for some time now for Vice-President Faure to meet with long serving public servants who have retired or are retiring.

The retirees who met Mr Faure yesterday come from various ministries and public organisations such as the Ministry of Education, the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, the Civil Status, the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the Seychelles Police.

The three retirees from the Ministry of Education are Anne-Marie Belmont who has spent 29 years, Moreen Didon (31 years) and Michelle Madeleine (32 years).
Sista Clothilde (42 years of service), Evadne Larose (42 years) and Jean Mathiot (42 years) are all from the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority.

Vivian Labiche spent 36 years of service at the Civil Status while Julita Arnephie spent 45 years at the Seychelles Tourism Academy and Michel Belle 41 years with the Seychelles Police.
Also present at the meeting yesterday at State House were principal secretaries and chief executives at these various work places.

Speaking to some of the retirees after their meeting with the vice-president, it was clear that the love for the job was the main reason behind their long years of service.
Julita Arnephie, former teacher at the Seychelles Tourism Academy, started teaching in 1968 and retired in December last year.

“Children are my world. Even if I am retired now I still miss those special noises, the kind of language and words especially those slang phrases like ‘ki deal’ the children used to say. When I speak their ‘language’ it keeps me alive all the time,” said Mrs Arnephie.

“I always wished to be a teacher even if my parents wanted me to be a nurse. Even if I am retired I always have my grand children who keep me going because to me not to have kids around will really sadden me,” she said when explaining what kept her that long in the teaching profession.

Mrs Arnephie said she still wishes to go back to school, talk to the pupils and try to instill in them positive attitudes as she feels she has a lot still to give. She expects to do that after getting over a sad moment in the family where she lost one of her grand kids.

“I really miss them. Whenever I see them pass by I always tell them to learn and behave well at school,” said Mrs Arnephie.

Mrs Arnephie does not recall any incident where a child ever talked to him in an improper way. Her advice to current teachers is to use the right words with kids as perhaps the young teachers especially do not use the right words with children.

She said when students are angry teachers should never show them they are angry too.
“You need to have a lot of patience with children,” concluded Mrs Arnephie

As for Vivian Labiche, former head of the Civil Status, he also said that it is love for the job that has kept him that long at the Civil Status.

“I loved working there and it was God’s will, courage and support that helped me to perform my job well. I do not intend to do much during my retirement but if the organisation needs my help or expertise I will be ready to help,” said Mr Labiche. Mr Labiche advises those still working to study to be able to grow and achieve higher level in their job.
He also said that everybody has to work to earn a living.

Jean Mathiot has spent 42 years at the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority and he will never stop missing the noise of the planes there.

“There have been lots of changes at the authority since I first started. I have a lot of discipline, patience and I also did many trainings especially in the United Kingdom. As I worked at the Airport Fire Service at SCCA, during my trainings I was attached to various airports there like London Gatwick, Stanstead, Merseyside to name some. Almost all my working time was spent in trainings. My long years there are due to disciplinary reasons because SCAA is a work place full of discipline. I also wanted to learn more on civil aviation proceedings,” said Mr Mathiot.

During his time there Mr Mathiot has also trained many officers.
He retired in December last year but is ready to continue to offer his services or advice to the authority.