Seychelles Former President James Michel met with Ms. Angelique Pouponneau, the co-founder of the SIDS Youth AIMS Hub Seychelles (SYAH), an award-winning youth-led NGO operating in the Seychelles to promote and advance youth-led sustainable development, at Espace yesterday.

During their meeting, Mr. Michel and Ms. Pouponneau discussed the work of SYAH in the promotion of sustainable development opportunities for youth in the Blue Economy through its Blue Economy Internship Programme.

President Michel commended SYAH for the excellent work it is doing in reaching out to young people and giving them a chance to get a first-hand experience of a potential career in the Blue Economy.

They also discussed the ways the James Michel Foundation could assist SYAH to establish its programme for the long term, as well as the development of educational material.

Ms. Pouponneau spoke to President Michel about the ongoing projects of the SYAH in other areas of environmental sustainability as well as the research she is undertaking as part of her Master Degree in Environmental Law at Queen Mary University of London.

Ms. Pouponneau is also a lawyer and is currently serving a two-year mandate as the Vice-Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council. In June 2016, she received the Queen’s Young Leaders Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

SYAH won the Environmental Sustainability Award at the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Award Ceremony in 2015.