AIESEC in Seychelles: Expanding and broadening the horizon of Seychellois youths |18 July 2018

Looking at the youth population of Seychelles today, it seems that we are more aware of our planet's environment than any previous generation; that we have more resources to create incredible new things; and that we have also inherited technology and innovative theories that can help us solve various challenges today and tomorrow.

We see a greater diversity within our generation as young people; a diversity of mindsets, values and beliefs.

The stories that this generation hears are of an unbalanced world, and these are the stories that are shaping who they are and will become.

However, we need new stories; we need stories that highlight both achievements and evolution in individuals, organisations, and the larger society. This responsibility we believe is bestowed on the youth -- to deliver on our potential and strive for the world that we want to see -- by participating in youth leadership organisations like AIESEC in Seychelles.

AIESEC is the world's largest youth-led non-governmental organisation striving to achieve peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential, placing its faith in the youth as the key to unlock a better future. It equips young leaders with practical leadership skills and encourages them to come out of their comfort zones to develop qualities of self-awareness, solution orientation, world citizenship and empowering others. Established in 1948, after the Second World War, with the aim of promoting cross-cultural understanding among nations, AIESEC is present in over 120 countries and territories including our dear Seychelles.

AIESEC in Seychelles was established in 2015 by Sophie Njenga, an aspiring youth from Kenya who saw the potential of AIESEC in Seychelles. Led by only a few members AIESEC in Seychelles finally settled its roots in 2017/2018.

This year AIESEC in Seychelles has metamorphosed and is now expanding from a team of 5 to a team of 15. Over the past few months, AIESEC has been reinforcing its relationship with the University of Seychelles (UniSey) by getting more students involved. UniSey encourages all students to actively participate. Earlier this year UniSey students along with its student union members joined efforts to campaign for AIESEC’s visibility on the UniSey campus in the form of a Flash Mob event as a demonstration of student participation.

Since then AIESEC in Seychelles has piqued the interest of several UniSey students such as Mariette Dine, a former student union member, who has expressed her keen interest in participating in one of AIESEC’s exchange programmes in Arad, Romania as her logged July internship. Her participation in the programme is gladly sponsored by SNYC, Delplace Restaurant, Berjaya Praslin hotel and TMD Nights, who were very keen in taking part in her journey by sponsoring part of her expenses.

Furthermore, AIESEC in Seychelles does not only develop youths outside of the NGO but also its team members also by giving them the opportunity to go to conferences around the world like AIESEC member Kelly Mothe who represented AIESEC in Seychelles at the AIESEC’s 70th International Congress in Egypt earlier this month. The AIESEC International Congress is an annual conference aimed at celebrating youth leadership, cultural diversity and global togetherness. The purpose of the conference is to gather youth delegates, business leaders, entrepreneurs and global trailblazers who will strategise and co-create AIESEC’s vision for a better future; to aid its entities in developing solutions that can increase cross-culture experiences and personal and community development in their country.

Contributed by AISEC in Seychelles