After a long night filled with various emotions of being in a new country with new sights, sounds and smells. My eager colleagues and I set off on a new adventure to discover the concept of Blue Economy in Mauritius. Not even the threat of rain could stop us!
After making the acquaintance of the Mauritian SYAH members, we headed to the Headquaters of the Indian Ocean Commission, an intergovernmental organisation bringing together the various island neighbours. It has been instrumental in adding value to its members and producing tangible results for its us islanders. It was a real honour to be in the same building and room where various decisions were taken. The mind is left wondering of the numerous stratagems discussed. In order to achieve its goals IOC works with various organisations such as SYAH which has implemented various projects to champion the cause of our Oceans. One of these includes “SEEING-BLUE”, which is an ongoing initiative which fosters dialogue between various stakeholders and producing results through concrete actions towards improving the state of our oceans. To accomplish this daunting task the project brings together various stakeholders particularly the youth which are major stakeholders, who are often left outside decision making which will impact us. The second stage is promoting dialogue and through these produce results all through creating networks of individuals. The third stage is capacity building by empowering stakeholders through skill building with training and information sharing. This is followed by implementation of the solutions and the final stage is to expand on these solutions creating a dynamic system which builds upon past success. One of the key milestones of the was the launch of art and essay completion targeting various youth age groups in June of 2014. This was won by Bhashnee Isnoo in the 13-18 age groups. I was proud to see another aspiring youth taking leadership in the improving the our ocean. Growing up I often participated in various these sorts of competitions such as Subious, which I am proud to say I left with a few prizes. Second project my fellow Blue Economy interns and I had the pleasure of learning about the Tap water revolution which seeks to provide access to tap water for everyone. This may seem a simple task however it has a major implication in helping to rid the country of its addiction to plastic especially its plastic bottles. They seek to encourage more people to use tap water instead of using plastic bottles which usually end up in rivers and even in dams. This is done through awareness campaigns and showcasing the various alternatives that we have. The visit to IOC was an eye opener not only did we learn about the various projects being implement, we also had the opportunity to share the challenges we face and provide solutions. I learnt as much from them as I learnt from them and this is something we need more off more coorporation and sharing of ideas. It is only by working together can we shape a future that we want to live in. lease not that photos were provided by my fellow group 2 member Annia Marengo
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After the completion of the two weeks of internship, I decided to ask for an extension to be back at the Seychelles Air Force, and the good news came when I was told that my request has been accepted and with no hesitation I contacted Cpt. Zarine and we made arrangement for the base access as well as program the days that I will be attached at the base.
Two days of patrol in a row, it couldn’t be better than that.
On the 20th and the 21st of December my colleagues and I boarded one of the coast guard’s fast response boat the 211 and went to patrol the Port of Victoria as well as the Eden island. During the one hour of patrol we all got the chance to steer the boat, and I can assure you that this was very exciting. Us, the girls definitely gave the guys onboard a big challenge. After a, what I was secretly dreading two weeks, I closed the door to the SMSA office and walked down the steps with a feeling of sadness and nostalgia. I never thought I would feel this way at first, but now look at me, wishing I had two more weeks at the organisation.
Knowing barely anything, on the 5th of December I embarked on my new journey as an intern at the Seychelles Energy Commission. On the 22nd, 2 weeks later I ended my journey knowing way more than I anticipated on the first day. On top of that I was surprised with a wonderful parting gift. Indeed my duration at the commission was a fruitful one.
I would like to say a big thank you to all the SMSA employees, for their welcome, explanations and kindness. They were all available to provide us advices and help throughout the internship.
“How is the Seychelles Air Force and the Seychelles Coast Guard related to the Blue Economy?” A question that I’ve been asked several times by my family, friends and even by Cpt. R Zarine on our last day at the Seychelles Air Force last Friday on the 15/12/17 during our debrief.
In order to be able to answer this question, I believe that I must first start by asking myself… Hey everyone, it’s Talia again! During this first week at Seychelles Safety Maritime Administration (SMSA), I had the chance to discover many information concerning Seychelles’ economy and its major role into the Blue economy worldwide. Thanks to SMSA, I had the possibility to visit a large amount of ships, and therefore materialize easily the two main revenues of Seychelles: tourism and fishing. I understood much more how the Seychelles’ economy needs its precious marine resources.
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AuthorThe interns of the Prosperity & Environment: Promoting sustainable development opportunities for youth in the Blue Economy sector. Archives
January 2018
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