Seychelles Alzheimer’s Foundation annual fundraising gala a success |25 September 2019

A partial view of guests at the soirée

The Seychelles Alzheimer’s Foundation’s (SAF) annual fundraising gala was a success, says chairperson of the foundation, Dame Lise Church.

Many turned up for the soirée held on Saturday at Eden Blue Hotel for an evening which promised to be exciting with a programme comprising a deliciously tantalising dinner, an auction and raffles.

To commence the evening, guests were treated to a buffet dinner before the chairperson, Dame Church launched the official song for the foundation which had everyone in the room emotional. The song entitled ‘Do not ask me to remember’ is originally a poem written by Owen Darnell, but has been reinterpreted in song format by David Andre and Georges Payet.

The foundation hopes to have the Children’s Choir record the song to be featured on the ‘Barry Laine and friends’ album, as another means of raising funds towards the foundation’s project to build a resident care home for Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers. The song will also be featured in the country music hoedown to be held on November 23 at the NSC Hall, as part of the Triple X Project, a fundraising initiative of Mr Barry Laine of the Academy of High Performance who is seeking to raise funds for the foundation and honour the late Jack Yokowo, Seychelles’ only pedal steel guitar player.

Funds raised will be used to finance the renovation and construction work on a wing at the regional elderly home located at North East Point to accommodate Alzheimer’s sufferers in a resident care home offering 24-hour care.

During her speech, Dame Church noted that the foundation is ready to work as from November this year if the project is given the go ahead by the Ministry of Health Board. She noted that contractors and sponsors have already committed themselves to contribute towards the project.

“People are suffering and we need such a facility. Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers require 24-hour care and different types of care as they progress through various stages of the disease. Caring for sufferers also takes its toll on caregivers and they are prone to burning out so they too need support, they need a break, to get out and socialise as well. They also need guidance and education as to how to care for Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers,” Dame Church said.

“The centre will serve as a centre whereby they can take that break and respite in the knowledge that their loved ones are being properly cared for, for any length of time they need. People have been calling me and asking whether the project is going forth so the interest and demand exists. On our side, we are ready to move forth,” she emphasised.

In order to ensure the sustainability of the business, the centre will offer care at a cost which is yet to be determined. However, Dame Church noted that the service is intended to be affordable and that the foundation is assessing the possibilities for subsidies for residents who may not have the financial means.

A decision is expected from the board on October 9, although the Minister for Health Jean-Paul Adam, who was also present at the gala, expressed his support and gratitude to the association for the initiative to support sufferers and their families.

In the meantime, the association has been working towards the vision getting experts and sponsors on board. They already have the architectural plans for the home. The plan was produced by an architect based in Sweden who visited Seychelles earlier this year, in the company of two medical experts, where they engaged with the foundation, conducted visits to hospitals and care homes and compiled a report of their findings inclusive of recommendations as to the specifications for a care home for Alzheimer’s sufferers in Seychelles. The plan was also designed based on the recommended specifications.

The foundation also selected three members to attend caregiver training courses at the Alzheimer’s facility in Umea City, Sweden. The three returned to the country recently having completed care home management, occupational therapy and caregiver training.

In a bid to educate more people on how to care for Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers, the foundation intends to offer training for local caregivers.

“Our objective is to have at least one trained caregiver in every district so there is a pool of caregivers to choose from when they are needed. Of course, the more trained caregivers the better but we are gradually working towards building up the pool,” Dame Church noted.

The soirée also comprised an auction with some delightful offerings. Guests took to bidding against each other for a flight ticket to Johannesburg, a flight ticket to Mauritius, weekend stay at a hotel establishment on Praslin and a night’s stay at an Eden Bleu apartment among others. Up for auction were also two beautiful art works, one donated to the foundation by artist Egbert Marday.

Guests who didn’t take home anything from the auction were not left to return home empty-handed. An equally exciting selection of goodies were up for grabs in the raffle draw including tuna hampers, goodie hampers and more.

Dame Church seized the opportunity to thank all donors and sponsors who contributed towards the gala.

Los Amigos band was also present to entertain guests during the soirée and had everyone wiggling their hips on the dance floor until the early hours of the morning.

The SAF was established in February 2016 to educate people about the disease and provide support to persons suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia.