Former students donates photocopier to Mont Fleuri secondary |03 June 2019

Mr Collie (with microphone), accompanied by his peers, addressing the students during the hand over of the photocopier. Mr Onginjo is on the far right

Thirty-three years after having left the Mont Fleuri secondary school, a group of former P9 (now S3) class of 1986 came together to donate a photocopier to the learning institution as a show of gratitude for all the knowledge it has imparted to all past students.

The students who have parted ways to follow their own paths and dreams towards further education and employment and are now residing all over the world, from here in Seychelles to Europe, Canada, Australia, the United States of America and the African continent, had through their WhatsApp group raised around R15,000 plus among themselves for the robust photocopier and a supply of toner and paper, with the partnership of SPACE95.

The donation of the RICOH photocopier and its toner and paper supplies for the maths section was handed over by the representative of the ten former students of P9 class 1986 to Hans Onginjo, head of division, maths department, during activities organised on Friday by the school to mark Children’s Day.

Present were the principal secretary for Youth and Sport, Fabien Palmyre; head teacher Marc Arissol; parents; teachers; members of the school council and the students.

The spokeperson for the group of former students, Roy Collie, said it was an honour for the group to hand over the small contribution to the school as part of their social responsibility to give back what they have gained from the institution for the benefit of other students in the school.

He noted that such act serves to remind them of the importance of recognising the people and places that have helped mould them into the people they are today.

Mr Collie said it all started when a member of the group came across a letter from the maths department, which was posted among the group, seeking for a photocopier and the group decided as former students to help the school with the photocopier.

Mr Collie further said that the group will seek to help the school in its future endeavours and he challenged the P9 (now S3) to beat their 1986 maths results for the prize of a bigger donation next year.

“The most important thing we want from you is to do well in your exams,” Mr Collie told the students.

Mr Onginjo said that donation will really help make a difference in the students’ learning and he thanked the former students for contributing to making that difference through their generous donation which he also said will be put to good use.

Most of the former students said it was emotional for them to be at the school at this time of Children’s Day celebration as it brought back memories of their days studying at the school and also of the times of celebration for Children’s Day.

“I feel very emotional as it brings back memories of the time I was here and how the place was before. There have been a lot of changes. I no longer see the big flanbwayan tree that was in the middle and I am still figuring out where some of my classes were situated. For us to be here as a small group, reunited and to share our memories of our school days is something we will cherish,” said former student Sarah Romain.

There were no S4s and S5s in those days and the former students had to continue their secondary education for a further two years at the then National Youth Service (NYS) either at Port Launay, Cap Ternay or on St Anne 1 and St Anne 2 and thereafter to other post-secondary institutions.

The NYS ceased to exist in November 1998.