Parents residing in Takamaka will have a place to leave their children during the day now that the district boasts a new day care centre situated in the vicinity of the primary school.
The ‘Busy Bees Day Care Centre’ was officially opened yesterday morning by the Minister for Local Government and Community Affairs, Rose Marie Hoareau, assisted by Daphne Jumeau, whose mother Lise Pigg along with the Laporte and Jumeau families donated 18 hectares of land in the area to government in 1983 for the construction of educational infrastructure for the benefit of the inhabitants.
Present at the opening were the principal secretary for Local Government and Community Affairs, Kevin Perine; the elected member for the district in the National Assembly, Terrence Mondon; the chief executive of the Institute for Early Childhood Development (IECD), Shirley Choppy; the district administrator, Delna Larue; and other invitees.
The day care centre built by the ministry has cost R6.5 million and has been awarded to day care operator Lisette Bonnelame.
It was Minister Hoareau and MNA Mondon who had the honour to cut the ribbon.
The spacious day care centre is equipped with modern facilities and a small playground and it caters for children from four months to four years old.
Three such other day care centres in Glacis, Anse Aux Pins and Grand Anse Praslin have also been completed and they will be handed over officially before the end of the year.
During the opening ceremony, Mrs Bonnelame, along with Marvel Simeon (Glacis), Gina Philoe (Anse Aux Pins) and Soucila Athanase (G.A. Praslin) signed their lease agreement and were awarded with the keys to the day care centres which will be under their management. PS Perine signed on behalf of the ministry.
In her address for the occasion, Minister Hoareau said the opening of such a facility for children in the district demonstrates the government’s commitment and engagement to its people.
Minister Hoareau further said that it has been proven that children tend to grasp everything they learn and they grow up with for life at an early age, and it is for that reason that the present administration believes in making available resources to provide them with the best in basic education.
“A child needs to get the best attention in terms of his or her education nutrition, health, security and protection and the community also has a role to play to make it happen,” said Minister Hoareau, noting IECD’s role in establishing standards to promote environments conducive to the well-being and holistic development of a child.
Minister Hoareau called on parents and the community to take ownership of the day care centre and see that it is well maintained and kept up to standard so that the children continue to progress in their early childhood to become good citizens.
She said that the ministry is planning to build similar day care facilities in other districts in future.
Mrs Bonnelame said that it was her dream and that of her colleague to have a place one day that was attractive, hygienic and healthy for the benefit and security of the children.
She noted it is important that government sees the importance and urgency to build such facilities in other districts also.
She said that they will do their best to complement the government’s effort to improve the standard of education in early childhood and also thanked the government through the minister for the attention and support given to children.
The day care centre was blessed by the parish priest, Eric Leon, and the children from the Takamaka primary school entertained the guests with a song and poem. After the ribbon cutting, Minister Hoareau and other invitees were led on a tour of the facility.
Mrs Bonnelame who had been running the day care under the name ‘Busy Bees’ in the district for the past five years said that she is in a more comfortable position to offer better value for money to her clients.
The day care was full with the maximum eighty (80) children on its first opening day yesterday and they are being cared for by eight teachers, a cook and one cleaner. It opens its doors every weekday from 7am and closes at 5pm.
Apart from ‘Busy Bees Day Care Centre’ which started in September 2018 and was completed in December 2020 at a cost of R6.5 million, the Glacis Day Care Centre which started in November 2018 and was completed in February 2020 had cost R2.07 million while the Anse Aux Pins Day Care Centre which started in October 2018 and was completed in December 2020, had cost R2.6 million. The day care at Grand Anse Praslin started in November 2018 and was completed in December 2020 at a cost of R2.57 million.
The accompanying photos show some highlights of the opening ceremony yesterday.
Source: Seychelles Nation