‘We all have dreams’ |30 August 2021
“We all have dreams. This is why I have chosen the theme ‘We all have dreams’ for next year’s ‘Run for a good cause’ project,” Joel Melanie has told Sports NATION.
“I will be targeting the youths of Seychelles in my three races next year. We should all be concerned with the youth’s vulnerability and downfall and at the same time contribute in any small way we can to keep them away from bad influences and social ills,” he added.
The first project is called 'Where there's a will there's a way' and it was unveiled by Employment and Social Affairs Minister Patricia Francourt in the presence of Samirah Sally who is to benefit from the sponsorship.
Ms Sally had her right arm amputated in July 2019 when she was studying for a business management Bachelor’s degree at the Segi Univesity in Malaysia.
It is to note that Ms Sally had excelled at the Seychelles Business Studies Academy (SBSA) and came out on top as the outstanding performer for 2018 in the City & Guild exams, gaining the only distinction of the year, and best performer for diploma in Office Management and Administration. She scored enough points to qualify for a full government-sponsored scholarship.
National Sports Council chief executive Jean Larue revealed the next one ‒ 'An memwar en Sanpyon' ‒ in memory of late Danny Beauchamp.
Former track and field athlete Danny Beauchamp, who always defended the Seychelles colours with verve and determination, died on November 12, 2010 at the North East Point Hospice. He was 41 years old.
The former jumps specialist had been confined to a wheelchair since he was involved in a road accident on July 4, 2004 at Anse Aux Pins. He was 34 at the time of the accident.
Double Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) long jump gold medallist in Seychelles (in 1993) and in Reunion (in 1998) Beauchamp spent a month at the Miot Hospital in India in February 2005 for an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) for paraplegia, considered as severe or complete loss of motor function in the lower extremities and lower portions of the trunk.
Mr Melanie’s grandson Ricardo then disclosed the theme for the third project entitled 'I pa zanmen tro tar’ in memory of his great grandmother Regina Melanie.
‘This is in memory of my mum. I want everyone, especially the youths to understand that it is never too late to learn something new. My mum did not know how to read and write and it was in her late 50s that she started following literacy programme (progranm alfabetizasyon) and later on taught others how to write in Creole and English and count.
She went on to become a well-known writer and considered a pioneer in Seychellois Creole literature.
Her work was included in the anthologies Bardzour in fer and Madanm Mizlen e konpanni. In 2012, she published her own book ‒ Remor‒ through the Creole Institute which she also helped to document local idioms and sayings.
Mrs Melanie also helped in the production of a Creole dictionary and was involved in the Komite Lalang Kreol, which works to preserve and promote Seychellois Creole. She died in 2016 at the age of 83.
Gerard Govinden
