<B>Georgina Ragaven</B>

I have been in Mauritius for 14 years with my husband. I have lived in England and been educated there. But compared to other countries, the standard of living of Mauritius is much better because it?s all a matter of how to balance your life. What I have liked the most here is the wonderful beaches. But I have also noticed that there is a sort of insecurity. People can?t be themselves. There is always gossiping around, which you have to be very careful about. I think you should really learn to relax and be yourself, be who you are and be happy. I do a lot of exercising and I even used to run a gym here. Keeping people healthy and fit is my passion! I also like music, reading and writing a lot. I believe that you never stop learning. You always learn something new. Especially about Mauritians and about their eating habits! Another passion of mine is social work. I do a lot of social work and have been working in several community projects here. It?s great to see that companies in Mauritius are now seeking to help out people through their Corporate Social Responsibility. I think that every company should help the community with programmes such as empowering women to be entrepreneurs and educating. I really believe in the philosophy of giving people the fishing-rod indeed of a fish. Mauritius has made lots of progress but there is still a lot to be done yet. There are still certain pockets in the island of extreme poverty. Foreigners are often shocked when they come in the capital and see beggars with young children and babies, to see even ?street children? with babies. I believe that we must really support these people and train them. We must give them a reason to live. We want to see Mauritius progress and that is why Corporate Social Responsibility is important. We must give poor people some assistance but it must not seem like charity. We must empower them and give them the essence of pride back. I really admire the work that Caritas is doing. Literacy programmes can help a lot.