VICTORIA, Seychelles — The St Louis community centre officially reopened its doors yesterday afternoon after significant renovations on the building. The plaque was unveiled by the Minister for Local Government and Community Affairs, Rose-Marie Houareau and elected member for St Louis in the National Assembly, Honourable Sathya Naidu. Additionally, there was also the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the principal secretary for local government and community affairs Kevin Perine and the chief executive of Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) Albert Duncan. This agreement outlines SNYC’s responsibility for managing the new centre.
In her opening remarks, Minister Houareau shared that the major renovation work was at a cost of R11.4 million. The centre’s ground floor features a games room where residents will be able to play table tennis, darts, or perfect their chess skills, among others. “But it is more than just games, this room will be a meeting point, a space for all generations to share experiences, learn from one another, and grow stronger together,” she noted. Also located on the ground floor is a newly equipped IT room, designed to connect young people with the digital world. It boasts video game consoles and a fully functional computer lab, sponsored by Seychelles Honorary Consuls namely Dmitry Kislov for Moscow and Rostov, Kasu Reddy for Bangalore and Namdu Belani for Kolkata.
The upstairs area comprises a multi-purpose hall that will serve as a hub for workshops, community meetings, training sessions, leisure activities and so much more. “It will be a place where ideas are exchanged, where new skills are learned, and where the seeds for a brighter future for St Louis and the country in general will be planted,” the minister added. Addressing the attendees, Hon. Naidu noted that since the centre’s original opening on August 15, 2006, no major renovations had been undertaken until now. In an interview, principal secretary Perine revealed that the renovation, carried out by the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency (SIA), began in 2024 and was completed in 2025. CCTV cameras fully funded by the Ministry for Local Government and Community Affairs, have also been installed to ensure the safety of all users.
