Seychelles’ Minister for Youth, Sports, and Family, Marie-Celine Zialor, has emphasized the need for greater financial support to bolster family structures, promote positive values, and prevent social challenges.
Speaking at a Family Conference hosted by her Ministry, Zialor highlighted the importance of prevention, advocacy, and education in addressing family issues. She stressed that the Ministry’s role complements that of Social Affairs, focusing on proactive measures rather than reactive solutions.
“We aim to portray families positively and not solely focus on problems. Prevention and education are at the core of what we do,” said Zialor.
The conference shed light on gaps in current support systems, with Zialor noting insufficient community-level assistance for families. To address this, the Ministry is launching special projects, including a pilot initiative called “Respite,” designed to provide relief for parents of children with disabilities and full-time caregivers.
“This project offers much-needed breaks for caregivers. While we lack the capacity for full decentralization, we’ve trained District Administrators to assist,” Zialor explained.
She called for better collaboration across government departments and a reassessment of resource allocation to prioritize prevention initiatives. “We need to work closely with the Finance Ministry to secure more resources for prevention efforts and foster synergies between departments,” she added.
Zialor also advocated for a revival of community-driven family support systems, encouraging mutual assistance and self-reliance among families. “Sometimes, people just need a little support. Communities once helped each other, and we want to revive that spirit,” she said.
During the event, the Ministry launched its new website, a resource intended to provide information about its services. Although not fully operational, Zialor assured attendees that it would soon become a key tool for public engagement.
She concluded by reaffirming the essential role of strong families in societal well-being, stating, “Strong and harmonious families should be the foundation of our society.”