Fund-raising event coupled with marine awareness programme
Seychelles Women and Sports Association will be organising a sailing charitable activity dubbed ‘Around Seychelles in 18 Bays’ in June this year, to raise funds for the Liam’s Rainbow Foundation, while creating awareness on marine-related issues.
The launch of the sailing activity took place yesterday afternoon at the Olympic House compound, Roche Caïman, during a fun run organised by the Seychelles Women and Sports Association (Swasa) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
Inspired by Jules Verne’s 1873 classic, ‘Around the world in 80 days’, the sailing event is scheduled to take place on June 10, on the occasion of World Oceans Day. An all-female crew comprising influential women in sports, arts, conservation and politics, will sail around Mahe, Praslin and La Digue in a catamaran, covering 18 bays during a whole day. The catamaran will be under the stewardship of female captain Marie-Jeanne Paton, who currently operates local ferry Cat Cocos.
Liam’s Rainbow Foundation (LRF) is a non-government organisation in honour of seven-year-old Liam Rangasamy, the son of Minister Billy Rangasamy and wife Erica Rangasamy, who passed away in August 2022 from brain cancer. The funds raised will go towards a playhouse for children suffering from this critical illness, which will be situated next to the pediatric ward at the Seychelles Hospital.
Speaking to the press, Swasa’s communications officer, Rita Joubert-Lawen, said the response so far has been positive with many women across the country wanting to take part in the sailing event. She added that the committee is looking into ways to accommodate as many of them as possible, such as changes in crew when they stop at different bays.
The association is in discussion with the Seychelles Coast Guard to draft the route to the 18 bays, which will be announced later.
“This is our first charitable activity for this year and there could be the possibility of other activities as we go along,” she said.
Mrs Joubert-Lawen noted that the event is being sponsored by the women sailors taking part and through donations from other sponsors. She has also called on members of the public who wish to make a donation, to do so through the Liam’s Rainbow Foundation’s bank account.
Addressing the gathering, the chairwoman and co-founder of LRF, Mrs Rangasamy said, “we want to allow children to express themselves through play. We will use play to support, to occupy and distract the children in order for them to cope with what they are going through during their medical journey.”
She noted that while they were blessed by having people who had done fund-raising for Liam, many parents with children suffering with the same kind of illness, do not get the same assistance to bring a little extra happiness to their children, to ease the anxiety or fear before treatment.
“This is why LRF wants to help children who are going through this critical illness, going through treatment on a regular basis, to enjoy their life as best as they can emotionally,” Mrs Rangasamy concluded.
Apart from raising funds for LRF and creating awareness on the oceans and marine conservation, another objective of the event is to show the incredible potential of Seychellois women in sailing.
Source: Seychelles Nation