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Seychelles’ first Immersive Exhibition on SDG 9 and 11 |17 November 2017

‘Shaping a better quality of life for the world and future generation’

 

Visitors viewing the exhibition

Thursday November 2 saw the opening of the ‘Don’t break the bridge, bridge the gap’ Immersive Exhibition conceptualised and organised by a young entrepreneur, Raymus Laurence.

In his welcome speech Raymus said he believes his contribution is not just about design but actually more about using his professional skills to shape a better quality of life for the world and future generation.

“Everyone deserves the right to live in safe, resilient and sustainable communities” was one of his pressing messages.

Investment in infrastructure such as roads, electrical power, water and sanitation systems, information and communication technologies are crucial to achieving social and economic development.

Yet, according to the United Nations 2015 statistics, 2.6 billion people across the world still face difficulties in accessing a constant and reliable supply of electricity. A further 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation and 1.5 million people do not have access to reliable phone services.

Boasting good road infrastructure as well as a reliable and constant supply of utility services, Seychelles is an example of a country that has surmounted numerous challenges and achieved milestones towards the development of basic infrastructure.

Nevertheless, as Seychelles’ economy grows and the population increases, it must be ensured that sustainable development continues to lie at the heart of prosperity. As a nation, the Sustainable Development Agenda must be embedded within all national development plans and projects.

One way of incorporating sustainable development goals (SDGs) is to raise awareness and educate citizens. The fruition of the Immersive exhibition is a brilliant example of a young entrepreneur, Raymus Laurence who conceptualised an innovative method of showcasing the SDGs. By collaborating with the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC), University of Seychelles (UniSey), AIESEC and UN Youth Seychelles, Raymus launched a competition focusing on SDG 9 : ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ and SDG 11: ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’. Participants had to share their vision by creating maquettes to demonstrate the adaptation of existing and construction of new infrastructure that would enable Seychelles to satisfy SDGs 9 and 11.

The competition was divided into 3 categories: Secondary, Post-secondary and Non-Governmental Organisations and were won by Anse Royale secondary school, Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) and UN Youth Seychelles respectively.

The exhibition was held at the National Library. It featured all the maquettes submitted within the various categories, as well as informative stalls hosted by organisations such as the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) and the Seychelles Energy Commission (Sec).

Upon officially launching the exhibition, Kalsey Belle, the Youth Ambassador for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, stated: “The exhibition has given us, the youth, a platform to not only share the vision that we have for Seychelles but to physically build our maquettes. Our maquettes symbolise our determination and commitment to continue innovating and working together towards building a sustainable Seychelles for us all.”

Raymus wishes to thank all collaborating organisations namely: UniSey, SNYC, AIESEC in Seychelles, UN Youth Seychelles, Ministry of Education, PUC, Sec, respective judges, participating students and everyone involved in making this exhibition competition a reality.

 

Compiled by Annarose Clarisse

 

 

 

 

 

 

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