Up Close … with Agnielle Payet, a dedicated civil servant |14 August 2018
‘I’m surprised at how far I have reached in my life’
35-year-old Agnielle Payet, née Harrison, is now a fulfilled young woman with a passion for helping others -- especially youths -- and is dedicated to her various roles in serving the civil society. Currently the Programmes and Events officer at the Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (Ceps), the national platform for civil society organisations, Agnielle is willing to strive further and become an inspiring role model to others.
Family life and background
Born on February 9, 1983 Agnielle grew up in Pointe Larue and has 10 siblings; five brothers and five sisters. She is now a resident of Perseverance 2 where she lives with her husband, Barnsley Payet, and her two children. Her daughter, the eldest, is 16 years old and her son 14. In 2009, she moved to Petit Paris, Cascade but however had to relocate to Perseverance due to the surrounding environment which was not conducive to her son’s health.
“Two years ago we moved to Perseverance because my son, who suffered from asthma, could not stand the pollution caused by the asphalt plant,” she noted.
Education and career
Agnielle described her younger self as someone who was very arrogant while at school; a “donner poum” in her own words. She attended primary and secondary school in Pointe Larue, although she did not undertake her S5 studies like most of her peers.
“NYS closed down right at the time we were supposed to attend and it is then that they introduced S5. However I did not further my education on that level, instead I opted to apply to the hotel school,” Agnielle revealed. She was among the only two candidates from Pointe Larue secondary school to be selected by what was then known as the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Training College (SHTTC), where she followed a one-year course in food and beverages. Asked if she was passionate about this course, Agnielle replied with a terse “no”.
“I had to take this course because my mother sensed that I was falling in with the wrong crowd, so I had to leave my friends and pursue this new avenue by myself,” she explained.
The course was followed by another one-year attachment programme on Denis Island where she worked in the kitchen and as a chamber-maid.
She gave birth to her daughter in 2003 and two years later was employed at the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) in the youth service bureau. She worked with the SNYC for over seven years.
In 2014 -- as she desperately sent her CV around searching for another job -- Agnielle received a call from Ceps for a job interview.
“I did the interview and immediately the next day after, they called saying I was successful. I was ecstatic.”
Agnielle was asked to prove herself as an office assistant at Ceps -- and prove herself she did.
Mentored by Ceps’ former chief executive, Steve Lalande, Agnielle was able to gain greater knowledge of office work.
“I’ve never worked in an office before and I needed the help; Mr Lalande was kind enough to train me.”
She was thereafter promoted to Programmes and Events assistant where she learned the ropes from Ceps’ present CEO, Michel Pierre, who was then the Programmes and Events manager.
In January 2018, she rose to the ranks of Programmes and Events officer and is also currently the acting communication and membership manager.
At present, Agnielle is pursuing a certificate in human resource management from the University of Seychelles and hopes to further her studies through a diploma-level course. During the interview she insisted that she has yet more to learn in life.
Extra-curriculars
Agnielle is the founder and one of the administrators of a popular Facebook group called “Zenn Leve Annou Priye”. The group has garnered a total of 6334 followers, according to the page’s statistics as of yesterday. Agnielle explained that she created the group three years ago after she noticed a need to bring change and hope in a society that was, and is still, struggling with issues such as alcohol and drugs.
“The youths especially are losing their way and are no longer listening to their parents. They need proper guidance,” she reflected. Agnielle hopes to one day form an NGO for kids in Perseverance, particularly since she has noted a lack of activities in districts to support and bolster the young ones.
She is also a member of Rotaract Club of Mahé Ladies Circle Seychelles.
“I also love cooking and reading books such as those written by Joyce Meyers; it’s where I take my inspirations and I distribute this knowledge to my kids.”
Aspiring words
“I’m surprised at how far I have reached in my life. I would have never in my wildest dreams thought I would be working in an office, that I would achieve what I have done so far. I always thought I would be a failure,” Agnielle related.
“It wasn’t easy but today I have a beautiful family, I have my own house, a good job. From where I’ve come from to where I am now, it just goes to show that with God there is nothing that’s impossible.”
By Elsie Pointe