Children Learn to Transform Invasive Plants into Art at Val des Près Workshop

VICTORIA, Seychelles — Some 20 children from various schools gathered at the Domaine de Val des Près for a workshop on converting invasive plants into beautiful crafts. The workshop was led by Mariette Dine Ogare, an entrepreneur and representative of her business, Micro-Fabrics, from the University of Seychelles.

Ms Dine Ogare explained that Micro-Fabrics focuses on organic products and aims to use different leaves found in Seychelles to replace plastics. The work is part of projects sponsored by SeyCCAT, with the activity forming part of that initiative. She said that, while the team is exploring ways to turn leaves and other materials such as seaweeds into marketable products, the workshop is also designed to build the skills of children and youth. ‘Today, we are showing children from the Museum Club what we can do with the invasive lalyann plant. They are making small baskets using yogurt containers or empty cans,’ she said.

The workshop received support from Guy Sabury, a long-time craft industry professional, along with trainers from the Museum Club and two University of Seychelles graduates who are running an awareness programme. Mr Sabury noted that, unfortunately, children are not as interested in craft as they used to be, but said activities like the one at Val des Près help to pass on traditional skills to a new generation. The initiative is also part of a wider effort to address the environmental impact of invasive species in Seychelles by turning them into useful and decorative products.