VICTORIA, Seychelles — Dressed in her beautiful white dress, Mrs Esterilia Lemiel sat comfortably in her pink lounge chair at her home, where she lives with her daughter Alice Gamatis because of her advanced age. Three of her five surviving children gathered with family members for a small but special celebration at Ms Gamatis’s home, where Mrs Lemiel also resides.
Mrs Gamatis described her mother as a disciplined and devoted woman who has remained an example to her children and the wider community throughout her long life. Mrs Lemiel received congratulations and well-wishes from her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, neighbours and members of her church community, who all came to pay their respects. The family thanked God for her good health and the many years he has granted her.
Mrs Lemiel was born in 1923 and has witnessed the transformation of Seychelles from a small colonial island society to an independent republic. Her long life, her family said, is a testimony to faith, hard work and the strong community bonds that define Seychellois society.
