Chez Batista hosts Takamaka groupings to New Year lunch |03 January 2018

Chez Batista restaurant on Takamaka beach is a well known dining spot for tourists and locals alike. Especially on Sundays, when the rustic restaurant offers a special buffet which goes on for the whole afternoon.

Last Sunday on New Year’s Eve, the special treatment was reserved to members of organisations running under the umbrella of the Takamaka District Administration, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which collaborate with and complement the everyday work of local government. They included the district’s Senior Citizens Club, Emergency Brigade, heritage protection group Leritaz Takamaka as well as the representative of the Agency for Social Protection (ASP) based in the district.

Jean-Baptiste Hortere, owner of Chez Baptista who during the whole year partners the Takamaka district in various social initiatives, has said that the lunch was a way of thanking the different volunteers and professionals who give their time and energy to the development of their district and the wellbeing of their peers.

He also took the opportunity to call upon district authorities, civil servants and politicians in general to take their responsibilities more seriously in order to pull in more private partnership.

“There are partners willing to help. But if the authorities do not take and support the right initiatives, the potential partners will stay away”, he said.

Batista, as he is affectionately known in the community, has however promised to on his side continue to support his home district by partnering the Takamaka District Administration in its various programmes and activities.

“I will continue to show support to the community, especially to the senior citizens to whom I show much gratitude,” concluded the successful self-made entrepreneur.