Today is Children’s Day and a number of Seychellois leaders have taken the opportunity to send messages to wish the children of Seychelles well on their special day |01 June 2017
The following are the messages received by the Seychelles NATION newspaper.
Mesaz Minis pour Zafer Lafanmir, Madanm Jeanne Siméon alokazyon Lazournen Enternasyonal Bann Zanfan
«Montre nou lapresyasyon ek nou lanmour pour nou bann zanfan»
«Nou zanfan i nou lavenir. E sa i fer nou realize ki nou tou, paran e granparan, ansennyan, e tou ki met zefor ansanm pour asir zot devlopman 
konplet, i rekonnet ki se sel fason i pou asire ki nou sosyete demen i pour enn meyer pour nou tou.
«Sak lannen ler nou selebre sa lazournen ansanm avek lezot pei dan lemonn, i sa lokazyon pour nou montre nou lapresyasyon ek nou lanmour pour nou bann zanfan. I sa loportinite pour nou promouvwar lenportans ledikasyon, lasante ek swen pour zot devlopman an zeneral. I osi sa lokazyon pour nou met lanfaz lo proteksyon zot drwa, zot liberte ki pou fer zot grandi koman bann sitwayen responsab e rezilyan ki nou tou nou swete vwar.
«Tenm ki’n ganny swazir pour selebrasyon sa lokazyon sa lannen i: ‘Nou zanfan ozordi, i nou gardyen demen’,Lavenir nou pei i dan zot lanmen. Alor pour nou asir en lavenir meyer, nou bezwen fer sir ki nou zanfan i ganny en bon preparasyon de baz pour zot kapab pa zis aprann o nivo akademik me osi o nivo lavi..
«Nou gouvernman i envesti bokou dan nou bann zanfan. Zot ganny swen ek ledikasyon neseser, zot ganny bokou sipor ek gidans. Diferan lazans dan pei ensi ki lezot endividi, pe osi met bokou zefor pour kontribye dan devlopman ek byennet nou bann zanfan. Nou tou nou partaz menm rev, menm dezir ki nou zanfan i viv en lavi ere dan en pei kot nou tou nou ini e met zefor ansanm pour protez zot e donn zot tou loportinite posib pour zot zouir zot lanfans.
«Me nou osi realize parfwa, menm avek tou nou dezir, tou nou bann bon lentansyon, nou pa arive fer ase. Sa ki enportan se kot I annan serten febles, serten defayans ouswa serten mank, nou bezwen annan kouraz pour nou rekonnet e pour admet sa, e osi annan kouraz ek determinasyon pour anmenn sanzman e esey fer pli byen. Nou dwa nou zanfan pa mwens ki sa. Nou bers zot ler zot pti pti pour montre nou lanmour pour zot e nou bezwen kontinyen an mezir ki zot grandi pour zot annan sa devlopman konplet.
«Mon swe pour sa lafet se ki nou tou nou reflesir lo nou rol ek responsabilte dan devlopman ek byennet nou bann zanfan Seselwa; nou rol koman en paran, en fanmir, en zanmi, en edikater, en kominote e en sosyete. Ansanm nou kapab fer bokou pour realiz nou rev e prepar nou zanfan pour en lavenir briyan.
«Mon swet tou bann zanfan ek zot fanmir en lafet ranpli ek lazwa.»
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Education and Human Resource Development Minister Joël Morgan
‘Children your education is your future’
“On the occasion of Children’s Day 2017, I wish all the children in Seychelles a Happy Children’s Day.
“Children’s Day is a day of reflection on the progress that we have made as a nation in ensuring that the fundamental rights of our children are
respected, ensuring that the structures, policies, and laws in place are being effectively implemented and fine-tuned so as to be more responsive to the changing times and needs of our society.
“On this special day, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all those who are working to defend the cause of children and to protect and promote their wellbeing with love and compassion.
“I reaffirm the commitment of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development to continue to strive to provide the right environment and conditions for every child in Seychelles to have access to quality education and training.
“There are many distractions and negative influences in our society threatening the stable development of our children. Our children need to be educated in an environment that is caring, nurturing, supportive, protective and free of danger.
“On this auspicious day, I wish to remind all the children that their education is indeed their future. You have to work hard and always be mindful of your responsibilities as students. The country is investing significantly in your education and you have to do your utmost to perform to the best of your abilities.
“Dear parents, on the occasion of Children’s Day, I encourage you to hold your children close, hug them, tell them how much they are loved, and reassure them of your love and protection. I urge you all to ensure that your children take full advantage of the opportunities at their disposal to learn and develop to their fullest potential. Together we can make this world a better place for all our children.
“My best wishes to you all dear children on your special day.”
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Ambassador for Women & Children’s Affairs Erna Athanasius
‘Adults let’s appreciate and honour our children’
“Today we celebrate International Children’s day as we do every year on June 1, in line with the adoption of the United Nations Declaration of 
the Rights of Children on November 20, 1958. The particular theme of this special Children’s Day is 'Children of today, our keepers tomorrow'.
“Here in Seychelles, June 1 is a special day dedicated to all children, celebrated with fun activities in their schools, crèches and day care centres, and for those lucky enough to have parents who think it important, this celebration will continue into the homes and communities.
“On this special day, I wish to reiterate the importance of community engagement in the battle against child maltreatment as well as neglect, and emphasise once more the Respect of Children’s Universal Rights as basic human rights under the Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles.
“International Children's Day is celebrated as International Day for Protection of Children in many countries on June 1. Not by coincidence, three days ago, we had the launch of Child Protection Week in Seychelles with the theme ‘I Have Courage’and it is most opportune that Children’s day falls within this week. And while today is a day of celebration, I sincerely believe this is also a day for us adults to appreciate and honour our children, for who they are, their intellectual development and for the part they will play in the future of this country.
“Not surprisingly today, June 1 is also recognised as ‘The Global Day of Parents’ ‒ the day as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. It celebrates the love and care, sacrifices and commitment of parents to those who make them parents: their children!
“All of us, who claim to love children, let us be bold and confront the realities of life and the realities of child abuse. As I mentioned at the launch of Child Protection Week, many of today’s problem behaviours like bullying at school and in even the workplace, discrimination, sexual violence and harassment, fraud and corruption, alcohol and drug abuse, and many other everyday life issues, have witnesses. There is almost always someone who has seen or heard something ‒ and yet, still they do nothing to help or prevent the abuse. How many times have there been bystanders who feel scared, disempowered and not willing to face the retaliation and sacrifice to their own quality of life, social stature, or well-being?
“Today and every day, my appeal to all adults and those who serve children in any capacity (teachers, nurses, doctors, parents, community leaders, legislators etc.) is that we read and understand these rights because with them comes responsibility ‒ the responsibility to provide the necessary stable and nurturing environment that protects our children and imparts in them discipline and good morals. It also implies responsibility for the children to be respectful and to honour and love their parents, their teachers and all caregivers, and all who work tirelessly to provide them with the necessary tools to be upstanding citizens in the future.
“On this special day dedicated to you, dear children, I wish to encourage you to remain resilient and strong and I want to remind you that Courage is standing up for yourself when no one else will. It is also standing up for others when they are not able to stand up for themselves. It means doing the right thing, no matter what others may say. So when you know something is wrong, or you feel uncomfortable around a certain activity or even a particular adult or peer, then you should tell another trusted adult how you feel and why. If you are being bullied or harassed, have the courage to report it and the bully can get help and you can feel safe again.
“So beloved children of Seychelles: You don’t need to be tall or big to overcome fear. Just have courage. Remember that courage is that conscious decision to act despite the danger that may exist around you. Courage is about standing up and saying what you believe is the right thing to say, and doing what you know is the right thing to do. Courage however, is not rebellion against parents or adults for the sake of it. Courage is being able to stand up against the wrong things ‒ acts that infringe on your rights to blossom and thrive as children.
“We are the adults, we are the enablers, and we are the protectors of children. We just cannot let another child fall through the cracks. Let today be a renewal of our commitment as guardians of our children, and let us teach them how to celebrate their lives in love and peace, turning tears to laughter and letting children be children; letting children play.
“Dear parents, our country needs you and our future looks to you, so stay strong and we shall muster up the courage to do right by our children every day. Let us make this day of celebration of our children more than just a day ‒ let us make it a way of life, making Seychelles a better place for ‘Our keepers of tomorrow’.”
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Patron and Founder of the National Council for Children, Geva Rene
‘Children are the true and most precious treasure of any country’
“Dear children, June 1 is your day. A day of fun and celebration, a day assigned to honour you all, to see the best in you, and this is a day when I usually pray for every one of you. So try to make the best of your day.
“Remember! You are the true and most precious treasure of any country of the world, the future leaders, scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers who are expected to bring about radical change in the country and the world by causing development, prosperity and happiness for all human beings, by shunning all the bad things such as drugs, alcohol, bullying and all forms of violence.
“So expectations are very high on you, my dear little friends and you really matter and deserve respect, special care and protection.
“But you have to remember that Children’s Day is an occasion to imbibe the values of discipline, sense of order, cleanliness, beauty, and above all, innocence and you can learn that from your home by observations, suggestions and by respecting and obeying your parents and teachers at school, as they are the most important people influencing your lives.
“May your days be carefree and filled with merriment – Happy Children’s Day 2017”.
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IECD chief executive Shirley Choppy
‘Children the building blocks of our society’
“An annual celebration, International Children’s Day, pays tribute to children all over the world. On this special occasion we are reminded to
renew our commitment to promoting children’s welfare, with a focus on health care and education. The theme for this year’s International Children's Day is 'Children of today, our keepers of tomorrow.'
“Children are considered as the building blocks of our society. They are very small but have the potential to bring about positive changes in a nation. They are the leaders of tomorrow and therefore need respect, special care and protection from their parents, teachers and other members of the family, community and society. The Institute of Early Childhood Development presents our children as ‘our most valuable asset’ whose holistic development is an essential investment for our society. Seychelles is fortunate to have a government who is committed to children’s complete development. This is reflected in the Seychelles framework for ECCE 2011, ‘Participation in high quality ECCE programmes results in better outcomes for the child and society’.
“Our national theme for this year ‘Seychellois, One Destiny’ fits well with the theme for International Children’s Day. It promotes unity amongst our children at a very early age so that we are drawn closer as a nation right from the very beginning. On this special day, I urge all partners involved in ECCE to double our efforts and engagement in giving the children, our keepers of tomorrow, the very best start in life.
“Dear children, there are no words to describe how exceptional you are to us. On this special day, make a promise to grow up into honest and upstanding citizens who work for the betterment of the nation and the world. On behalf of the Institute of Early Childhood Development
I wish you Happy Children’s Day. Enjoy this day with fun and laughter and celebrate the joys of childhood.”