Letter to the children of Seychelles on Children’s Day |01 June 2018

‘A solid education key to a bright future’

Children of Seychelles are being urged to study hard as their future lies in a good, solid education.

The remark comes in a letter from Ambassador Erna Athanasius, the chairperson of the National Council for Children and of the National Commission for Child Protection, to the children of Seychelles on the occasion of Children’s Day today.

The full text of Ambassador Athanasius’ letter reads:

“Dear children of Seychelles

“On this June 1, 2018, we celebrate and honour you as we do every year!

“We honour you for all the good things we see in you. Our hopes and our dreams come to fruition through you and the future of subsequent generations lies in your very hands. In other words, the future of Seychelles, and the world, belongs to you.

“We honour you today, as we ask that you too, honour, love and respect your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, your teachers, and all the adults that help you to grow into polite, gentle, loving human beings. 

“In a message a few years ago, I asked the children then to keep in mind that we too were once children just like you, with our own aspirations of a beautiful, peaceful world where we could be whatever we wanted to be. As we grew up and studied to achieve our dreams, each of us did our best to make our parents proud, and no matter what we made of our lives, we strived to remain humble and true to ourselves.

“Today, we pray for your success – Study hard and make your families and our nation proud of you. When you succeed in life, your family succeeds. And if you all succeed, the country does so too. But if you fail, life can turn out to be intolerable. Education is the only way to break the cycle of poverty and to bring prosperity to all. The future you want for yourselves lies in a good solid education, so do not take it for granted. Listen, and learn, question and search, but always be responsible in your use of knowledge gained.

“Cherish what you have and be proud of who you are and where you come from, for no matter what happens, your roots ground you on your journey forward and upwards. You have everything you could ever dream of right here and right now, and the world is literally your oyster, but that should not stop you for reaching for the stars, too.
“As I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Children’s Day, I shall leave you with a quote from Dr Seuss: ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’

“So go out and play and enjoy your special day! But never forget to learn as you do.”