Scouts get free Internet!

Scouts on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue will all soon enjoy free internet services, thanks to the Lions Club of Paradise Seychelles, Cable and Wireless and Paradise Computers.

In fact, the movement’s members on Mahé are already able to use a 10-computer café in Victoria, which was inaugurated by the Minister for Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture Mr. Vincent Meriton last week.

In his speech for the occasion, Minister Meriton said that the donation exemplified a government, private sector and non-governmental organisation partnership, and expressed confidence that many more such gestures would follow within the spirit of inclusiveness being pursued by the government.

"I would like, at the outset, to extend my sincere gratitude to the Lions Club of Paradise Seychelles for the initiative, and for providing equipment and accessories for the project. I am happy to note that Lions Club successfully engaged other partners in the process; Cable & Wireless for free internet access; Paradise Computers for providing some computers; and the Scouts Association for the premises and personnel. The government has also contributed financially to the project and through the Ministry of Education; schools will be involved in managing the programme," he said, adding that their action was proof of private sector and NGO involvement in the government’s renewed approach of community development, and in that particular case, youth development.

When making his remarks, Chief Scout, Mr. Shelton Jolicoeur said he was happy that support for that type of communication came from both the state and from the business.

"This is testified by the support we receive from our Patron, Mr James Michel, the President of Seychelles, and from ministers, government officials and leaders of the business community. They seek to ensure that the emerging work force in Seychelles is one that is clearly part of the knowledge based society, a journey which Seychelles has already begun. I think we also need to wake up and harness the new reality, where the use of Information Communications Technology is absolutely the norm. We use them without thinking about them. So we have to successfully integrate technology with scouting to make it a more enjoyable experience without losing the spirit of scouting," the Chief Scout said.

Mr. Jolicoeur added that scouting and technology are entirely compatible, "but we have a lot to gain from making better use of Information Communications Technology in our youth development programme in general."

The Chief Executive of Cable & Wireless, Mr. Charles Hammond, recalled that Seychelles recently launched its Information Technology policy, and that Information Communication Technology is a vital component in promoting sustainable development in improving the quality of life of its people, and that Cable & Wireless is proud to be associated with the internet café project.

In an interview with local newspaper Nation, the president of the Lions Club of Paradise Seychelles, Narasimhan Ramani, said that arrangements have already been made with Cable and Wireless to ensure that the young users’ possible access to inappropriate sites will have been blocked, and the scouts will only be able to reach educational and useful materials.

He also said that the scouts will be supervised by competent adults.

Adapted from article written & published by the Seychelles Nation – 30 October