Youth Festival 2019 |16 August 2019

A song performance

Reaching out to youths with special needs

No one should be left behind, especially those living with certain disabilities, is one of the country’s key social concepts, in the spirit of inclusion and equal opportunities for all.

With the theory in mind, the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) has not omitted youth living with disabilities in its programme of activities for this year’s Youth Festival which began last Saturday and will go on until Saturday August 24.

Absorbing the ‘special youth’ in this year’s programme, the SNYC hosted an outreach activity which took place on Wednesday at the Savoy Seychelles Resort and Spa at Beau Vallon, gathering students from the Vocational Training Centre (VTC), who along with other disabled youth engaged in a series of activities, showcasing their talents and also sharing their dreams and visions, as well as contributions they can bring towards the country’s development.

Wednesday’s event which began with a moment of spiritual reflection by Reverend Daniel Kallee was officially launched by chief executive of the SNYC Penny Belmont who highlighted that the council caters and reaches out to all the youth, including those with special needs.

She added that despite their disabilities, the youth with special needs should be treated equally to those living a normal life as they also, in their own way, have their own contributions to bring forward.

The special day featured some cultural activities, including songs, poems and dance presentations by the disabled themselves, along with supporting organisations such as the Foi et Lumière.

The event also received the support of some popular local artists such as Jones Camille and Barry Gertrude who joined in to boost up the cause.

After lunch, everyone present, including Ms Belmont and other guests, ended the day in a disco.