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Vicky Duval
<I>Teacher in charge of the benevolent society at Queen Elizabeth College</I>
<B> What can you tell us about the QEC benevolent association and your role?</B>
I was a student of this college a long time ago. There has always been benevolent work there. When I was student, my teacher Arlette Bazire was my model. The present benevolent group was launched in 2001. In fact, Miss Bazire was invited to the launching ceremony. Gradually, the association has grown to reach its present standard. You know, I have always felt I was a gifted person from a very young age. I remember my immediate neighbour was a blind girl. When I looked at her, I realized a lot of things. People around me have always supported me in benevolent work and I think what I have gained needs to be shared. So when I joined school as a teacher I tried my best to inspire my students with the idea of sharing as we do different activities. We visit underprivileged children and old people in homes. The students talk to them, listen to them and play with them, giving them as much attention and love as they can. In these activities, we do not give people what we have in excess but what is most precious to us. We visit around 13 institutions today…
How successful are you?</B>
We have organized lots of residential seminars with girls from the homes. We have taken some girls from SOS village and CEDEM along with our students for residential seminars and have done some creative work. Then we invited eight colleges and helped them to set up their own clubs. We are proud to say that, after these seminars, two benevolent clubs were born: SSS Droopnath Ramphul and SSS Rajcoomar Gujadhur.
<B> So far, what are the most important constraints you have encountered? </B>
To find funds was not easy. For example, to organize seminars, we have to pay. We usually organise them at the Young Farmers Centre at Belle-Mare. And the participation fee is now Rs 700. Hence, each student has to contribute. Moreover, we have to raise funds for our guests. Luckily, sometimes we are sponsored by parent-teacher associations, but often we have to organize raffles and so on.
What do the students gain from this experience?</B>
It is in giving that we receive! You can always see a great satisfaction in what they say. For example, I remember a student who ran to tell me that she had someone to teach. I can still remember how delighted and happy she was. Furthermore, the joy they feel because of the way they are welcomed when they go to the homes simply cannot be described.
Do you think these experiences will be beneficial to your students for their future?</B>
Absolutely! These experiences build their personality! They learn that life is not limited to what they are taught at school or what is happening at home. Through the benevolent work they do, they learn how difficult life is. They learn about the feelings of others. Finally, they get to know how lucky they are!
Do you think other schools should create their own benevolent associations?</B>
We invited all the colleges of the island to the launching ceremony of our club. Only 55 of them came. However, I would like to thank the ministry of Education which has taken the responsibility of distributing our magazine to all colleges. This ministry has really encouraged us in our work. Therefore, there should be more emphasis on this type of activity in all schools. Benevolent work should be included in the school curriculum…
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