15th Seychelles-Sweden Educational and Cultural exchange programme |21 August 2014

45-strong Seychelles group in Sweden
 
Some 45 students, teachers and parents from La Digue left Seychelles last Thursday to Sweden for the 15th educational exchange programme between the two countries.
 
Since the beginning of this exchange programme, this is the largest group taking part.

The 22-day trip consists of a visit to Paris for five days, visit to London for four days and visit to Sweden for 11 days.
 
The group will return to Seychelles on September 4.

Over 500 students, teachers and parents have so far taken part in this exchange programme which started in 1999.

Seychelles has received a similar number of Swedish visitors during the same period.

While in Paris and London the group will visit several historical sites. A detailed programme has also been made out for them by their hosts in Umea, Sweden where they will visit the modern hydroelectric station, wind energy towers and power plants using garbage as fuel.
 
They will be visiting the Lycksele Zoo and enjoy a lunch in the world’s largest Sami Tent.

Their programme also includes visiting the Volvo factory and the water recycling department and an official dinner with the vice-governor and a lunch with the city manager.

They will also visit the largest indoor sports complex IKSU in Europe and the Umea university and play ice hockey.

The planning of this year’s educational exchange started last December with the full participation of the parents. Almost all the cost of tickets, stay in Paris and London and hosting the Swedish while they were here in Seychelles in April  was contributed by the parents directly with the normal group rates given by Euro Rail, Air Seychelles and Cat Cocos.

The  educational exchange coordinator Alex Jacob, the head of the department for social science at the La Digue school who has been directly responsible for the planning and running of this programme over the last 15 years expressed his gratitude to all the devoted parents and relatives for all the sacrifices they have done to organise this programme.  

It is to be noted that no other educational institutions or departments have been having a similar programme running over such a long period of time.

“Our collaboration and friendship in this exchange programme is increasing year after year and it is also bringing lots of benefit to our islands. We are hopeful that during this trip the participants will learn and discover Europe and bring back good souvenirs,” concluded Mr Jacob.