Chance for Seychellois to discover their roots |11 September 2008

The Family Tree Project aims to educate the public on the value and importance of knowing one’s family history.

The National Archives, together with the Department of Community Development, will be running the two-year scheme and would like to see most homes having a family tree by 2010.

Guests viewing the exhibition on Friday

The project will not only provide a forum for all Seychellois to draw up their family tree but will also generate much-needed revenue to finance archives projects.

The Department of Community Development will play an important role in running the project as district administration offices will be the local points for registering clients.
 
Talks will be organised at district level by the National Archives, explanatory brochures will be provided, and posters will be displayed in public places inviting people to join in.

To launch the project, an exhibition was held on Friday morning at the National Archives on the genealogy of Seychellois families.

Marguerite-Marie Bellary of the National Archives says they are showing some of the family trees its researchers have already worked on, to make people realise the importance of knowing one’s history.

“At the moment we mainly have Seychellois living overseas interested in knowing their genealogy, but we hope we have shown just how Seychellois families are all connected somehow in this exhibition,” she said.

People interested in tracing their family tree will get a special package, valid for two years, as an incentive.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Computer Services in Victoria took the opportunity to give the National Archives a new computer to help it carry out its research work.