VICTORIA, Seychelles — Pupils of the Bel Eau crèche were met by a school with a new look on Monday morning, after it was refurbished and given a fresh coat of paint over the weekend. On Saturday, a group of 21 employees of Hunt, Deltel & Co. Ltd converged at the school for their first community project for the year. Starting at 10am, the team got busy for two and a half hours giving part of the crèche a well-deserved facelift. The work covered classrooms and the main play area, with the company providing all the paint and supplies.
The company’s communication executive, Chantal Poonoosamy, said the Bel Eau head teacher requested help with labour since last year and it was fitting to have it as their first community activity of the year. The Bel Eau crèche is not new to the company, as Hunt, Deltel & Co. Ltd was involved with renovation work on the school’s playground the previous year, she explained. The continuation of the partnership reflects the company’s longer-term commitment to the crèche, beyond the one-off makeover that was completed at the weekend.
Part of our philosophy is helping out whenever we can and we have been doing it whenever needed albeit in the background, she added. Hunt, Deltel & Co. Ltd also uses such gatherings as a networking and team-building event for the employees who rarely get to meet and mingle, considering the size of the company. We crack some jokes, listen to some music and just bond, Ms Poonoosamy said of the team dynamic on Saturday. The dual purpose of the activity, as both a community contribution and an internal team-building exercise, is one the company has come to value over several years of similar projects.
The company’s future projects include providing equipment for a new gym at the Mont Fleuri secondary school, as part of the nationwide ‘Stop Obesity’ campaign launched in October last year. In two to three weeks, we will be engaging with them financially, said Ms Poonoosamy, confirming the school’s action plan was already completed. Our philosophy is that when we partner up with someone, we do not just give out money, we are taking you on as a partner. Anything else where we can assist, we will be there, she added.
She added that the team loves taking part in anything involving children, the environment and the sea. Our business is about shipping and logistics, so we hold the sea close to our heart, she said. The framing ties the company’s commercial identity in shipping and logistics to its community work, particularly around the marine environment, and signals that future projects are likely to continue in the same vein. For the Bel Eau crèche, the freshly painted walls will be the most visible sign of the partnership to date, and the staff and children are expected to mark the makeover with a small celebration in the coming days.
