Born in Belgium of Flemish parentage, Ann Van Den Bergh had travelled in various Arab countries before coming to Mauritius 20 years ago, ?without really knowing much about the country? to set up a small textile factory. Since then her life has changed a lot and she now runs her own chocolate factory, Van Ann.

When she was 2 years old, her family went to Liège and it was there that she was able to rub shoulders with people of other cultures, making her an open-minded person. ?I used to help little kids from countries such as Morocco with their homework.? That was her first contact with Arabic, the language she would later study in university. ?Like all teenagers, I was something of a rebellious girl,? she recalls, laughing out loud. Her parents wanted her to study Latin and Greek, ?but I considered these as dead languages and opted for Arabic and Mathematics!? Off she went then to Jordan at the age of 18 to discover the world and get away from home. How did she end up in Mauritius? While she was travelling in various Arab countries, she met the man who would become the father of her two sons. ?We came here to start a textile factory in Pailles.?

At first she rather disliked the insularity of Mauritius, but she got used to that, especially with the changes in communications that have made Mauritius more and more accessible. ?Internet?s changed my life. I can now communicate with the rest of the world.? But Ann was always and is still fascinated by the light of Mauritius. ?The light is so special here, especially compared to Belgium which is quite a grey country!?

Ann is the sort of woman who always falls on her feet. In 1992, after various personal problems, she gave up the textile sector and set up her chocolate factory in Petit-Raffray. ?I wanted a new concept, after having been in the textile sector where everyone?s at each other?s throats?? she explains, adding with a broad smile ?and also because I love chocolate and find it an agreeable product to manufacture.? Her job takes up a lot of her time, but she points out that ?above all I am a mother - something which brings me great pleasure, not a business woman.? Married for four years, she has always given her family first place in her life, and between the chocolate factory and her family, she barely has time for hobbies.

Ann finds life in Mauritius ?extremely comfortable, even if there are constraints due to work.? Although the close-knit society here is one of the aspects of the country she dislikes, she ?simply has to live with it.? But she is not the sort of person to grumble, and insists that she generally has a positive view on Mauritius.