Day: July 2, 2023

Father Gustave Lafortune, now 86 years old, celebrated 60 years of priesthood on June 30 for his service to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Seychelles.

Hailing from the eastern district of Cascade, Gustave Charles Baromee Lafortune was born on November 3, 1936. From humble beginnings, Lafortune was a sickly child who at a young age showed devotion to the church by serving as an altar boy and assisting the nuns who lived in his community.

A bright child, Father Lafortune did his primary schooling at Cascade, followed by five years at Seychelles College. He then proceeded to Switzerland for his A-level and theology studies at the College Royale Abbaye College of St. Maurice in September 1956.

Longest serving Seychellois Catholic priest

Father Lafortune started his journey into the priesthood in Fribourg Switzerland, where he also did his studies at the Capuchins Convent and at the Abhaye College of St. Maurice—surrounded by his Capuchins brothers, Bishop Francois Charier – a close friend of Bishop Olivier Maradan of the Victoria Diocese at that time, who ordained Lafortune on June, 30 at the Saint Michel College Chapel in Fribourg. After one year in the parish of Morges in Lausanne, Father Lafortune returned to the islands.

He arrived back on Mahe on December 21, 1964, and on December 24, Father Lafortune celebrated the Christmas eve mass at the St Andre parish of his native district of Cascade. Over the years Father Lafortune worked in several parishes on Mahe and Praslin; these included Mt. Fleuri, Plaisance, Baie Ste Anne, Cascade, Anse Royale and Anse Boileau.

The former Bishop of the Catholic Diocese in Seychelles Denis Wiehe celebrated a special mass at the St Andrews Parish at Cascade in 2015 to honour the work done by Father Lafortune. (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Singer, songwriter and poet

Aside from his priestly duties, Lafortune loved the arts and is a renowned songwriter and singer. Poetry is something which he also loved, and which he started to write in his childhood. Over the years he worked and released 4 cassettes of his songs. These were mostly gospel songs that were very popular, sung not only in church but also played on the local radio.

Amongst his composition are "Wi nou kapab viv lamour Zezi Kri" (yes we can live the love of Jesus Christ),"En soley pe leve" (A Sun is Rising), the latter is still popular today

Special homage to Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 to 2005. Born in Poland, John Paul II was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX. He was one of the most travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate.

Pope John Paul II visited Seychelles in December 1986 and Father Lafortune composed a special song to coincide with John Paul II's visit, marked by a mass attended by thousands, who braved the rain on that day.

Editor of L'Echo de Iles - longest publication of the island nation

In 1974, Lafortune returned to Fribourg, Lausanne where he followed a course in journalism, and upon his return to Seychelles he was appointed as editor of L'Echo des Iles - a Roman Catholic publication.

On September 1, 1935, the mouthpiece of the Roman Catholic Mission was launched by Father Maurice Roh entitled L'Action Catholique. In 1957 it was renamed L'Echo des Iles. The publication, which comes out every fortnight, is the only publication in Seychelles that has not missed any publications since its inception.

Leaving his mark in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Seychelles

Lafortune retired officially from the church in 2015. Today, his days are spent quietly at the St. Therese parish, where he moved after living at the Domus – the official residence of Catholic priests.

Father Lafortune is known for his devotion, his compositions – songs and hymns in Creole still being sung at mass in churches today – his work with church groups such as Neo Catechumenal, as well as with catechism.

Lafortune was instrumental in building three chapels -- the Christ the King Chapel at Anse la Blague, and the Mont Plaisir Chapel on the second most populated island of Praslin, and La Salette Chapel in the western district of Anse Boileau, where Lafortune worked in the parish of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, for nearly 20 years, the longest time he had served in any parish.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Informal employment in Tunisia reached 43.9%, far higher than in most other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, according to a new World Bank (WB) report titled "Informality and Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and North Africa." Egypt and Morocco also reported high rates, 62.5% and 77.3% respectively, it emerges from this report released in June. The three countries are at the core of the report as they provide a good overview of the situation in the region. "The state of affairs in Tunisia is different from the one in Egypt, while Morocco is somewhere in between. The three countries indeed present different charasteristics in relation to the legal and institutional frameworks, the economy as well as factors that impact informality," the report said. Informality, which is not inevitable, is driven by legal, regulatory and institutional challenges. The size of the informal economy depends on a combination of several factors, including the way social protection systems are designed, the burden of legal provisions and taxation, the enforcement of laws, business registration processes, resolution of commercial disputes, access to loans, corruption and unfair competition. In the MENA region, there are two main areas with institutional weaknesses. These are inadequate social protection systems which are characterised by little coverage and poor redistribution, in particular with regard to health and ageing. This situation produces informality and hinders productivity growth, especially as it is coupled with factors such as minimum wage laws, complex dismissal procedures and poor enforcement of labour regulations. To combat the informal economy in the MENA region and achieve stronger and more inclusive growth, governments need to start by establishing a social protection system which allows all citizens to access basic health services and entitles elderly people to benefit at least from minimum income.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Sixty-five illegal migration attempts were thwarted during Eid of Idha feast, the Directorate General of the National Guard said on Sunday, and 2,068 migrants were rescued. Coast guards in Sfax, Kerkennah and Mahdia foiled 47 illegal crossings and rescued 1,879 migrants, including 1,858 Sub-saharan Africans. A further eighteen attempts were thwarted by coast guards in Nabeul, Sousse and Monastir and 189 Tunisian migrants were rescued. Fourteen boats were seized.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The province of Tuy achieved, at the end of the 1st round of the 2023 Baccalaureate exams, a result of 389 admitted and 415 eligible all series (A4 and D) combined.

In series A4, out of 686 candidates present, there are 216 admitted and 229 eligible for the second round.

In series D out of 798 candidates present, there are 173 admitted and 186 eligible for the second round.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

On Friday, June 30, 2023, the 06 juries of the Baccalaureate series A4 and series D session of 2023 in the province of Ioba obtained the result of the 1st round, 419 admitted out of the 1408 candidates present, i.e. a success rate of 29.76%.

The results of the first round of the Baccalaureate were announced on Friday June 30 in the six juries hosting the A4 and D series of the 2023 session.

In total out of 1408 candidates present, 419 candidates including 273 boys and 146 girls were admitted at the end of the first round tests, representing a success rate of 29.76%.

For the A4 series only, there were 245 admitted out of 758 candidates present, representing a success rate of 32.32%.

In the juries hosting the D series, there were 650 present and 174 were admitted for a success rate of 26.77%.

The candidates declared eligible to pass the second round tests number 439, including 254 boys and 185 girls on all six juries in the province of Ioba.

Source: Burkina Information Agency