JCI City Plus - 15th anniversary souvenir magazine

Editor's Message

About JCI City Plus Message of 2022 JCI City Plus Local President

Message of 2022 JCI Mauritius National President Message of 2022 JCI Vice President, Africa & Middle East Message of 2022 JCI President

Retrospective: 15 years Long-Term Community Projects & Business Projects An overview of training over the years Leadership and Female Empowerment

Members' testimonies

Memorable Team-Building Activities

National Flagship Projects

Conversation with Dr Heman Mohabeer Flashback to other memories

The international journey: Twinning partners, recognitions, JCI Japan Academy and testimony of 2020 JCI EVP, Asha Auckloo Graduates of the JCI Japan Academy World Congresses and Area Conferences

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Editor’s Note

This year, we are celebrating the 15th year of JCI City PLUS's existence. It is with immense pleasure that we are are presenting this magazine to showcase all the efforts and determination of the past members It is said that success can be mirrored by the contribution of a team. It is without wonder that the success of JCI CITY PLUS lies in the work done by the team. I would like to seize this occasion to congratulate every soul who has worked towards the vision and mission of this organisation

I would like to congratulate the editorial team for their ardent work. Special thanks to Mrs. Gooshma P. Kissoondoyal, who despite being in Zimbabwe, has worked day and night to make the artwork and supervised the work done. Heartily thanks to the actual Board members for giving opportunities to each member to express themselves.

Editor-in-Chief

DISCOVER OUR VALUES

JCI Creed

We believe That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life;

That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations;

That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise;

That government should be of laws rather than of men;

That earth's great treasure lies in human personality;

And that service to humanity is the best work of life

INTRODUCING JCI AND JCI CITY PLUS

JCI Mission

To provide leadership development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change

JCI (Junior Chamber International) is a network of young active citizens aged 18-40 years old, with 175,000 active JCI members and millions of JCI alumni participating in projects, meetings, learning programs and events. JCI members contribute to the advancement of the global community by creating positive changes in approximately 6,000 communities in more than 115 nations worldwide.

JCI Vision

To be the foremost global network of young leaders

JCI City Plus, founded by Senator Veena Langur, is the youngest chapter affiliated to JCI Mauritius since September 2007 and formally enrolled as approved NGO since September 2010. We provide our members with four areas of opportunities: Individual Development, Community Development, Business Development and International.

This year, we are celebrating our 15th Anniversary

Messageof 2022JCICityPlus LocalPresident

B E N V E N K A T A K I S T N E N

15 years of excellence

From "Shine to Inspire" to Empowering the Next Gen of Leaders" – 15 years of enterprising leaders reshaping our society, 15 years of brotherhood and 15 years of creating excellence

It is with immense pleasure for me to share my message as your Local President in this souvenir magazine as part of our 15th anniversary celebrations It was important for us to leave behind a magazine as we wanted the younger generation and all future JCI members to be aware of the contribution of this organisation over the past 15 years

Despite being the youngest chapter, JCI City Plus has throughout the years demonstrated its leadership where we had one Executive Vice-President, four national presidents, participants at regional programs, awards and nominations at regional and international levels and the list goes on Think Green, Edike Pu Eradike, Art & Training Academy, Artmela, ABC of stock exchange, Rise-up Business series are all babies of JCI City Plus which have helped this organisation shine

We are also proud that JCI City Plus is the organisation with the highest number of trainers as of date and that we believe in women empowerment as 9 out of the 15 local presidents were women which truly depicts our willingness to show women

potential to assume

I also wish to thank all sponsors, partners, members, senators, aspiring members, past members and especially our past presidents who have helped shape this organisation We are who we are today due to your contribution and we are forever indebted to you for it

On an ending note, I can only wish that JCI City Plus goes the extra mile and achieves another 15 years of high-flying success I also wish to convey my gratitude to the entire JCI City Plus family and especially the Editorial team for pulling off this amazing souvenir magazine

have the

leadership positions

Long Live JCI City Plus!

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit” -Jay Shetty

Dear Readers,

2022 JCI MAURITIUS NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Narotumdass Rohee

It is with an immense pleasure that I am sharing my message with you as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations of JCI City Plus I would like to take this golden opportunity to record my deepest appreciation to all the dedicated members of JCI City Plus Over the years, it has truly been a great privilege and honour and my heart is completely filled with gratitude for the kind support of this Local Organisation to JCI Mauritius and the country.

Since its creation, JCI City Plus is known to be very active in developing exemplary leaders who have served in JCI at the Local, National and International level Unity is strength and through teamwork and collaboration, extraordinary things can be achieved This is a characteristic that JCI City Plus has shown over the years and my wish is that we all work together toward our common vision of being the leading global network of young active citizens.

With the pandemic, the world has been facing unprecedented challenges which has disrupted the lives of each and everyone. However, we as JCI members have seen this as an opportunity to serve the community to the best of our abilities JCI City Plus has indeed been an example in responding to the challenges through various adapted projects which is in line with the new direction of JCI.

2022 JCI MAURITIUS NATIONAL PRESIDENT Narotumdass Rohee

Our country needs more of such enterprising young leaders and for every such leader we have, it means greater and better sustainable growth, better living conditions, a compassionate society and every citizen finding purpose and success in their lives I would hereby encourage the JCI City Plus members to continue to put in your effort which would in return develop and empower you into dynamic and influential leaders of the society.

We are JCI, everyday changemakers and we rely on you, young people to advance sustainable impact in the community and drive the world in a positive direction JCI provides various tools and trainings to empower the members to be that changemaker and JCI City Plus has been a perfect example of how the members have become empowered through training to bring sustainable impact in the community.

Each year is full of opportunities and challenges and I wish JCI City Plus to experience both these conditions, as it will help the members and the organisation to grow stronger. I sincerely wish JCI City Plus a long year of continuity and I will keep on following the organisation’s success

Long live JCI, Long live JCI Mauritius, Long live JCI City Plus

Yours in JCI Spirit, Narotumdass Yudhish Rohee 2022 National President JCI Mauritius

Dear President and Members of JCI City-Plus,

Greeting to you all from Nigeria and I will quickly like to congratulate you on your Silver Anniversary and existence as a Local Organization. It is indeed a great fulfilment that you all shared a great Vision and Principles on which your founding fathers laid the foundation of your Organization in the year 2007.

Going forward, you will see the giant strides of achievement you have made through dedication and selfless service and more importantly the development of leaders for a changing world over the years. The Covid-19 Pandemic has shown the we all need each other to survive and the greatest treasure in the world lies in our individual Personality and if we can successfully build a great person in many members, then the world will surely be a better place.

As you continue to celebrate your Anniversary, I will employ you to take responsibility of leading-through as Ambassadors in your communities. The 2022 Theme is “Leading is our duty” and this has posed a greater responsibility and approach to building great societies based on sound human principles, fairness and social justice all over the world and generations to come.

I wish all the very best in the remaining year 2022 and a fulfilling year ahead.

Long Live JCI City-Plus

Long Live JCI Mauritius

With kind regards and best wishes always,

Ojo Babajide Richard 2022 JCI Vice President, Africa & the Middle East

Message of 2022 JCI President

Alexander Angulo Parra

12 August 2022

Dear Members of JCI City Plus in Mauritius,

It is with great pleasure and honor that I write to you today. You have my warm congratulations on the 15th Anniversary of your esteemed Local Organization! These past several years have been particularly difficult with the onset of COVID-19 around the worldn and yet your Local Organization stood unflinching in your ability to continue to grow and prosper. Each year that has passed has only reinforced your commitment to our Global values and has made you all stronger and more capable than ever before. You all have my best wishes for success as we continue into 2022 with passionate hope and vision.

2022 is a year of new growth and development like no other. I encourage you to keep pursuing, to look forward, and to continue to fully commit to the JCI RISE initiative. When we focus on developing and innovating not only ourselves but the world around us, we create a sustainable future for generations to come. I know that we can count on JCI Mauritius and all its Local Organizations, especially JCI City Plus to be a strong example of JCI’s purpose and direction.

As you know, our annual theme for 2022 has been “Leading is Our Duty.” At JCI, rather than having our members focus on what they want to achieve in their own lives, we want to focus on instilling a deeprooted sense of responsibility for others and the future. It is through this mentality that our global organization shall impart its values and knowledge to our members and the entire world, establishing a new Universal Declaration of Human Duties of Leaders that will usher in a new era.

Once again, congratulations on continuing to uphold your organization as a shining example for others. We are deeply grateful for the continued impact of JCI City Plus. I greatly look forward to exchanging more ideas with you at the 2022 World Congress later this year. Together with our Board of Directors, I shall accompany you along the way, as Leading is our Duty!

my warmest regards

Argenis Angulo 2022 JCI President

With

Argenis

G e n e r a t i o n o f L e a d e r s

Effective leaders take a personal interest in the long-term development of their followers and in the case of JCI City Plus, their members

The leaders use tact and other social skills to encourage individuals to achieve their best It’s about tapping into individual motivations in the interest of furthering the organization's wider goal

The man who successfully marshals his human collaborators to achieve particular ends is a leader. Our leaders have used optimism and vision

Some went on to become National Presidents: Jessen Soobrayen (2013), Yudhish Rama (2016), Asha Auckloo (2017) andRoumeshOomah (2018)

SANNE Mauritius Foun

The SANNE Mauritius Foundation was established with the aim of contributing to the betterment of local community’s with a focus on our key areas of Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) including education, women and youth empowerment, social housing and social integration. SANNE is extremely passionate about the future of our youth and its staff dedicate time, through after school tuition support to provide opportunities for students from disadvantaged background to have a brighter future.

Creating a better world for the needy is not something that can be done in isolation.

SANNE launched its first early childhood school in Mauritius, namely SAN’Angels Centre d’Eveil in May 2017 for kids between the age of 2-3. The school supports underprivileged children in the vicinity of Beau Bassin. The day to day management has been assigned to the NGO Caritas, one of our long standing partners.

SANNE also supports several other NGOs that support children and adolescents through education and learning, such as Sponsor a Child, Atelier Joie de Vivre, ANFEN Group, Mahebourg Espoir, Association des Amis de Don Bosco (AADB), Association d’Alphabetisation de Fatima (AAF), Maison Rurales & Familiale (MFR) & SOS Poverty

Other ESG measures need to be addressed as well, such as our environment. SANNE strongly believes that young people should also be consulted on how their generation can contribute to the well-being of their communities. Young people constitute a large part of Mauritius’ population and they will have to live longer with the consequences of the current social and environmental conditions. SANNE has provided the structure to promote social and sustainability leadership development through training, awareness campaigns and worshops delivered from its modern SANNE Learning Centre situated in Beau Bassin as well.

Of JCI City Plus MILESTONES 2007 TO 2022

Everybody who knows the Junior Chamber International understand that in JCI you have ‘One Year To Lead’ and one year to make an impact. This philosophy allows members to share their talents with the organization and celebrates fresh ideas, new perspective and adaptability needed for our members to create action-oriented solutions to the challenges in their communities.

In the next section, you will meet the people who have taken on a leadership position in JCI City Plus; from the Founder Local President, Veena Langur to our actual Local President I'doumben (Ben) Naidu Venkatakistnen.

2008

It all started with a couple of inspired mind led by a powerful will to create positive change and who dared to take the challenge of creating a new Local Organization in Mauritius which wassponsoredbyJCIPortLouis

At first known as JCI City Port Louis, it finallycameouttobenamedJCICity Plus, after the swearing in of new members at The Clos St Louis Restaurant, Domaine Les Pailles. JCI City Plus was officially born on 15th September2008

The first Local President Veena Langur, under the motto Shine and Inspire, led the organization to fulfill its objectives through different projects and activities amongst which there were Think Green, Art Mela, Art and Training Academy and Business Networking

Training and grooming new member were made possible thanks to the support of fantastic people: Senator Bruneau Woomed,ChandraniGopaul, VidyaLangur, Vamen Poonoosamy, Jhateen Ramnarain (2014 Local President of JCI Quatre Bornes) andYosiRamen.

2009LocalPresident

VidyaRoodraneeLangur

JCI is the factory that develops future enterpriseandcommunityleaders,the type our world so desperately needs, leaders who serve from their heart. WiththeJCICreedasourguidinglight, together we can make the world a betterplaceforall

2010

The TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) concept is very powerful. When team members work together for the good of all, everyone achievesmore.

Together, WE can make the difference. Not only in our own lives, but also those we love, as well as the oneswehaven’tmet.

The BIG start under the motto "Be Better with One Easy Step-The Extra one "afterhavingbeenrecognisedas the best Local Organisation of Mauritius in 2009......Lots of activities accomplished on the 2010 agenda to name a few: Art and Training Academy 2010 – a Residential Workshop, Initiation to Golf, Easter –Chocolate for a Smile, Hope for Children – Active Citizenship Programme and Mother’s Day – JCI CityPlusCelebratesGrappiesDay.

WE JCI members and Aspiring members lead and participate in projects in diverse field of activities, Business, Individual, Community and International Development We are given the opportunity to learn and grow personally and professionally and develop the skills to generate positivechangeinsociety.JCIinitself is a unique university. It’s a world of opportunity!!GrabitNOW...

2010LocalPresident JessenSoobrayen

2011

Under the motto Our Journey Towards Excellence, 2011 ensured continuity, progress and innovation for JCI City Plus The new members under the guidance of experienced, through trainings, and active participation in projects were empowered to better understand on how to create positive change in society. Down the history lane of JCI City Plus, the motivation and eagerness to learn gave the opportunitytothesenewmembersto serve the organization at local, nationalandinternationallevel.

Leading from the heart, creating a bond relying upon trust, humility and groomingwerekeyingredientsforJCI City Plus to sustain the JCI Mission andVisionin2011.

In a nutshell, you don’t choose to join thisorganization…youaredestinedto beinJCI

2011LocalPresident YudhishthirRaoRama

2012

Moving forward to building better individuals, crafting impactful community solutionsandcontributingtobetterlivesin ourcommunity.

An impactful year where we have been constantly improving ourselves and confidently growing to meet new challenges.

This amazing year has also enabled us to reach new milestones with the extension of our collaboration with TIPA and partnership with AIESEC University of Mauritius.

Striving towards Excellence, our Local organization was honored to receive 7 Awards at the 2012 National Awards Ceremony. An undeniably successful year marking the 5th anniversary celebrations ofourchapter.

VamenPoonoosamy

Our aim is to prepare members to be future JCI leaders and inculcate active citizenship towards bringing better lives around us. Our actions shall positively influence our country and the world by promoting active citizenship through impactful and innovative projects, teamwork,friendship,andpassion.

2012 was undeniably another year filled with multitude of projects and activities under the leadership of Local President VamenPoonoosamy.

2012LocalPresident

AsJCImemberswelearnedtoBeBetter and through hardship we armed ourselves with courage to continue the journey and we may say that we performed“Tothebestofourability".

Our commitment, passion and dedication led us to be honored with 7 awards during the 2013 JCI Day for which we convey our thanks to the members and sponsors that stood by our side during our sixth year of existence and without whom all those recognitions would not have been possible.

This again was a sign of showing that either, as JCI members we see difficulties or we turn them into opportunitiesandnevergiveup.

JCI City Plus, has bloomed and all ourprojectsandactivitiescouldnot have been possible without the supportoftheJCICityPlusfamily.

Being surrounded by a strong team of dedicated youth, fired by their sincerity to do good have rendered each and every project of JCI City Plus successful. Actions speak louderthanwords!

The year 2014 as President of JCI City Plus has been most fulfilling and challenging in every respect. Opportunitytoleadforoneyearand create positive change in our everyday action and endeavors, and I am very grateful for this life changing experience. Presidency is ephemeral & short lived, what matters most is the legacy and what we would have built for our organization.

It has been a privilege to lead JCI City Plus as President of the Local Organization and give life to the motto of Be Better During this year 2014, JCI CITY PLUS has been at the beck and call of creating positive change by engaging the community, the government and esteemedpartnersaccordingtothe activecitizensframework.

This year we have been honored with 7 awards at the 2015 JCI MauritiusActiveCitizenDay.

2014

2014LocalPresident AshaAuckloo

This year has also brought a lot of good news for us We were recognized by the 2015 JCI President for being one of the first local organization in the world which conducted a ProjectImpact100...

Theyear2015hasbeenayearofcelebrationsaswe celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the JCI Movement.Ithasbeenalsobeenachallengingyear as we had to implement the first strategic plan of our organization. It was a huge strategic move for JCICityPlusandIcansaythatwiththesupportofall ofyou,wesuccessfullyimplementedthefirstyearof thestrategicplan

I am confident that we are on the right track and if we keep on the pace, we will surely implement our strategic plan perfectly in the nextthreeyears.

2015 is known as a record breaking year and a year full of achievements. We won 7 awards at the 2015 JCI Mauritius Active Citizen Day and 2 awardsatinternationalevents.

2015LocalPresident RoumeshOomah

During our nine years of existence, Board Members, Members, Senators, Aspiring MembersandPartnershaveralliedtowardsourgoalsininnumerablewaysguided bytheJCIVisionandMission.Itisimportanttothankallwhoworkedovertheyears tobuildtheJCICityPlusfamily.

In2016,aswesteppedintothenext100yearsofJCI,ourobjectivesweresetunder themotto“ImpactToInspire”otherstojoinusinourquesttobecometheleading organizationthatunitesallsectorsofsocietytocreatesustainableimpact.

Our members had the opportunity to be empowered and to get out of their comfortzone.Forsomeitmightbeone-timeoralifetimejourneybeforemovingto otheractivities,butforall,itisalifechangingexperience.

2016memorylanegoesfromteambondingonthebeachtoreceiving5awardsat the2016JCIMauritiusActiveCitizenDayand1awardatthe2016JCIAfrica&Middle EastConference.

“Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible;andsuddenlyyouaredoingtheimpossible” –FrancisofAssisi.

2016LocalPresident ChimèneDacruz-Valery

Our Plan of Action is based on evaluatingtheprogressofthe20152018strategicplansofarandlaying the remaining groundwork to achieve our strategic goals for JCI City Plus to become the leading organization that unites all sectors of the society. “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm FriedrichHegel

The year 2017 marks the 10th Anniversary of JCI City Plus. Ten yearsisbothalongandaveryshort time. Compared to the other Local Organizations in Mauritius, we are still young Having distinguished itself in many areas over the years, JCI City Plus has ample reasons to celebrate its legacy that continues to inspire us to create a better tomorrow

Tobeabletosustainouroperations, administration and achieve our goals, we need the dedication, commitment and passion of each of the members, senators and aspiringmembers.

You hold the power to ignite the change and make sure that our JCI principlesarerespectedatalltimes. Afterall,intheyearstocome,wewill not be evaluated by the goals we achieved, but by how we pursued them

2017

2017LocalPresident TasweenaGirdhari

BDO, in Mauritius, is the leading firm of Chartered Accountants with 30 partners and over 800 professional staff and is a Member Firm of BDO International We also service clients in neighboring countries such as Comoros Islands, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and on mainland Africa The firm is a member of the Institute of the Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)

BDO helps a diverse range of clients in different fields with a broad range of services, While Auditing remains at the core of our offering, our skills and knowledge extend to arrange of Tax, Corporate Finance, IT Consulting, Risk Advisory and business Advisory services

With our team, you will find the opportunity to re-discover your strengths an re-shape your scope while reaching for a brighter future with us

BDO & Co 10, Frère Felix De Valois St Port Louis MAURITIUS www bdo mu www bdo-ea com

Tel: Fax: Email:

+230 202 3000 +230 202 9993 +230 202 9994 bdo@bdo mu

2018 marks a year of igniting the potential of our members through attractive projects aimed at tackling various global goals. Winning the most outstanding local project and best-local-community-development program at the JCI Mauritius awards, the Ediker-pu-Eradiker project has helped eradicate domestic violence through free legaladviceandfamilyplanningsupport.

The award-winning ABC of Stock exchange project re-enforced our position to offer alternative financial opportunities to the public We also had Ignition workshops on innovation & entrepreneurship, Top Chef – a culinary experience, “the differently abed” project at Angel special school, the calamity relief project at Cite La Cure, the 11th anniversary celebration Gokarting and Quiz night at Cascavelle and fundraising night at Irishpub

JCI City Plus successfully hosted international programs, the TOYP and the Vice President Banquet We participated in the JCI World congress in Goa that also saw, the election of Asha Auckloo- our first member to reach an internationalleadershipposition.

Amazing individuals were the sparkles of my tenure as President and these members have all contributed to a wonderful 11th year of existence.

2018LocalPresident

PavanGopal

GeetanjaliRamkishore

2019 was a special year as it was the year where JCI Mauritius hosted the Africa & MiddleEastConferenceandthefirstquarteroftheyearwasallaboutpreparingfor theevent.ExcitingtimesasJCIMauritius,fromthenewlyrecruitedmemberstothe mostseniorswhichareourSenators,allcametogethertomakeithappen.

Recruitmentprogrammeswereorganisedincollaborationwithcompaniessuchas GPO Limited, Ceridian, together with an orientation session at Curtin University Team building exercises were organised, such as Creating your own perfume at L’AtelierGallimard,TopChef2.0atEcoleHoteliereSirGaetanDuvalandafunevent at Fun Zone Quatre-Bornes for the celebration of the 12th Anniversary of JCI City Plus.

We organised Partnership For Safer Journeys in collaboration with Road Development Authority, a Neighbourhood Watch session at Residence Kennedy, repaintedapre-primaryschoolinCheminGrenierandheldaworkshoponlifeskills forchildrenwith(dis)abilitiesatAngelSpecialSchoolinthesameregion

Sessions on Inner Engineering, meditation sessions, and a workshop on Emotional Managementwerealsoheld.

2019LocalPresident

My year as the Local President was not a piece of cake. Moving along my Presidential journey was no less than sailing a ship in a rough sea The year 2020 certainly brought about many challenges but it also allowed us to discovernewpotentialandavenues.

One of the highlights of my year was allowing members to do the JCI Official Courses online. I believe that is was a huge step, I can proudly say I could complete nearly all of them as well as gain the opportunity to become an internationaltrainer

Thebestmemoryofmyyearnevertheless will remain the #ArtMela. This was literally adreamcometrue.

My team worked relentless to make this happen and make it one of our best project. People do not realise the importance of teamwork, but for me I couldnothaveachievedallofthiswithout my#team

Every highlight of 2020 is dedicated to them.

2020LocalPresident

JayaMulloo

Despite the challenging times amidst an ongoingpandemic,JCImembershaveshown theirresilienceandagilitytobeactivecitizens in their communities. I have seen how much potential our members have to bring about real change if they seize opportunities to do so.Afterall,"FortuneFavorstheBold" .

JCI City Plus was fully involved in the national Covid Response Committee, which aimed to provide relief to people during the second lockdown From food distributions to blood donations, members spared no effort to alleviatetheplightofthosesuffering

When it comes to local projects, the RISE Initiative was at the forefront The PostWakashio Empowerment project in Residence La Chaux targeted the youth of the region to develop valuable life-skills, the Rise Up Business Series came to assist women entrepreneurs to develop digital commerce, the ABC of Investment increased financial resilience amongst the public and the Youth Empowerment Series provided university studentswithtipstosecureemployment

We led the way in terms of the amount of training and topped off the year with memorable events such as Art Mela and JCI Day.

2021LocalPresident

ChrisintaChavrimootoo

After 15 years of existence, 2022 was the year where it felt important to build a new generation of leaders. We want to ensure that we leave behind a new generation of young enterprisingleadersthatarereadytotakethe organisationtonewheights

With a new generation coming in, we also wanted to ensure that we reinforce our brotherhood after two years of pandemic by making our members meetings fun with several activities such as a bingo night, Ju JitsutrainingandIleAuxCerfstrip.Wekeptour projects at local level running where we have ensured to tackle all the 4 areas of opportunity The internationalism of Global Leadership Sprint, the upskilling through our JCI trainings, he empowering of women entrepreneurs through our Rise-up Business series and the grooming of our next generation of leaders through the PostWakashioprojectJCICityPlusalsolauncheda greenprojectthroughourYesToSustainability project.

We also successfully hosted both National flagship projects which were assigned to us, i.e., the 2022 JCI Mauritius Debate Championship and JCI Mauritius Outstanding YoungPersonaward.

Aret Violans

Long Term Community Projects

Learning Made Easy Project

The ‘Learning made Easy’ project has been a very important community development project for JCI City Plus and was carried out in collaboration with our JCI friends from JCI Luxembourg. In line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 2Achieving Universal Primary Education, JCI City Plus has provided support from 2014 to 2016 to Nicolay Government School which is a ZEP (Zone d'Education Prioritaire) primary school with approximately 410 children through different activities.

Aret Violans Project

JCI City Plus has a track record of activism regarding the issue of domestic violence. A longstanding project at JCI City Plus is the Aret Violence project. Ediker pu Eradiker: Dibout pu to Drwa ("EE:DD") was born Sessions were conducted at Residence Ste Catherine and twice at Roche Bois The sessions, often challenging, have been enlightening in the sense that they have shed a new light on the problem. The human stories which were shared during the editions, opened our eyes on how poverty, social inequality, lack of education, alcoholism, unemployment and domestic violence are tightly intertwined

Post Wakashio Empowerment Project

Residence La Chaux was seriously impacted by the Wakashio Oil Spill Our needs analysis with community leaders showed us that whilst adults benefitted from governmental programmes, the youth needed up-skilling to thrive. They needed help with communication skills. We therefore devised a series of training to improve their communications skills, such as a mock interview and a theatre training

"Service to Humanity is the best work of life"

CreatingEnterprisingleaders

ABC of Investment

The ABC of Investment was revamped from the ABC of Stockexchange Investment, following feedback from previous sessions which showed that youngprofessionalslackedknowledge about investment to know which tools and strategies to use Building their financial literacy would help them for this purpose, but also to increase their financial resilience in a Post Covid-19 economy.

Over 5 years, more than 500 people have received investment training. Past sponsors include Swan, Stock Exchange of Mauritius, MCB Capital MarketsandAONHewittLtd.

RISE UP Business Series

We conducted a forum as a needs analysis with different types of entrepreneursduringtheconfinement.We concluded that women entrepreneurs were facing the most difficulties as they nolongerhadaccesstotraditionalselling spots such as market fairs. We therefore collaborated with Entreprendre au Feminin Ocean Indien to help them start e-commerce.

We then extended to other groups of entrepreneurs. Currently, IT literacy coursesarebeingoffered.

Training Over

Official JCI courses include, amongst others:

Non-official courses range from Conflict Management, Effective Teamwork, Public Speaking to more unique ones, such as Master Chef, Golf Initiation and Initiation to diving. The residential Art & Training Academy, spearheaded by Senator Bruneau Woomed was also highly appreciated.

Training are often free, or charged at a minimal cost. Increased skills and bonding amongst members are guaranteed Finally, it is also a great stepping stone for those who wish to become trainers, with Train the Trainers course.

One of the greatest assets of JCI City Plus is the quality and breadth of training offered.

There are official JCI training and non-official JCI training.

The aim is to provide the skill-set needed to groom future leaders, in whatever field they are.

LEADERSHIP ANDFEMALE EMPOWERMENT

Only 4.9% of Fortune 5005 CEOs and 2% of S&P 500 CEOs are women. And those numbers are declining globally. Yet a surveys reveal that women score higher on several leadership abilities than men – namely taking initiative, resilience, drive for results, develop others, displays highintegrityandhonesty.

Souvenir Magazine | 2022 Page 37

VimiAppadoo

A N

Breaking the ceiling.

LEADERSHIP ANDFEMALE EMPOWERMENT

Aftermystudiesin1993,ItookupemploymentinthesciencefieldandIwas a bit bored because all my friends were abroad I had always heard about the Junior Chamber International and I then decided to join. I quickly developedfriendshipandtoday,manyarestillmyfriends.

I was then asked to join the Local Board and went on to join the National Board. In 1998, I took a break because I thought I had seen it all. In 1999, I then attended the Area Conference and this changed everything for me. It was an eye-opener. I became friends with international members, some of whichevencameformywedding!

AsIapproached30,mydadstartedpressuringmetogetmarried.Iwentto theassemblytoresignastreasurerandendmyJCIcareerandIcameback homeasPresident!Afterafewyears,theAfricanadvisersencouragedmeto send my candidacy and I became EVP in 2008 In 2009, I got married and had my first child in 2010, after which I ended my JCI career. It has been a careerthatlastedforaround17years.

Exclusive Interview of

SenatorArunaPultonwasthefirstMauritian woman to become a JCI Executive Vice President. She has served the region of Africa and the Middle East with verve and continuestoleadandtrainwithpassion. Q:Whatkeptyoumotivatedalltheseyears? SenatorArunaPulton

Q.TellsusaboutyourjourneytobecomethefirstfemaleMauritianEVP?

THE JCI CITY PLUS EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE WHO LIVED IT

Greetings to all

It is with much pleasure that I am writing these words in view of the 15th anniversary celebrations of JCI City Plus

I was introduced to the organisation at the age of eight during an activity organized by JCI, more commonly known at that time as ‘Jeune Chambre Economique de Maurice’ I remember having hugely enjoyed the day.

In 2007, I was encouraged to attend a meeting at 53B, Avenue des Goyaviers, Quatre-Bornes. It was a member recruitment meeting for JCI City Plus! Inspired by the passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by the members for JCI, I eventually joined the local organization as a member in 2011 And, there was no looking back!

From my perspective, JCI is an organization which promotes youth leadership and provides young people a considerable platform to create positive change through sustainable projects.

As a member of JCI City Plus, I was encouraged to move out of my comfort zone, identify my weaknesses and work on it, use my strength and existing potential to the maximum to tackle challenges I was given the opportunity to share my ideas, express my creativity and develop leadership skills through projects such as the Children Awareness Campaign and the 2012 JCI Mauritius National Debate Competition

My experience as JCI City Plus Local Secretary in 2013 is a memorable one It was undeniably a very challenging year but it allowed me to improve my organizational and problem-solving skills and what is more all the while enjoying every moment of it! I am more determined as ever to create positive change in my community

THE JCI CITY PLUS EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE WHO LIVED IT

Why did I decide to join? Well, simply put because of the development opportunities JCI has given me the opportunity to learn, grow, and lead, while meeting amazing people. Projects and events organized by JCI have allowed me to get out of my comfort zone, take on responsibilities, and make friends I attended the Leadership Academy which helped me understand what it means to be in JCI and how I can contribute to making positive change in society.

JCI is also about its people. The people who are part of JCI are a team of passionate and dedicated individuals working towards a bigger purpose. My one advice to aspiring members: The best way to understand what JCI stands for is to get involve in projects and participate in events By interacting with others, you’ll understand what being part of JCI truly means

Elveena Yessoo

THE JCI CITY PLUS EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE WHO LIVED IT

My JCI journey began in 2014 when I participated for the first time in a Debate Championship organised by JCI Mauritius . It was truly an amazing experience. It all boiled down to team work, and we won the contest. That was my first experience of the famous JCI brotherhood. Our creed so rightly says ‘We believe brotherhood transcends the sovereignty of nations’. I strongly believe that people have good hearts and and they really want to make a difference

JCI is the living proof of that I would like to sincerely thank all the Local Presidents of JCI City Plus who have always helped me a lot. When you spend so much time with an organisation, it becomes an integral part of your life so has JCI

Ashish Padaruth

THE JCI CITY PLUS EXPERIENCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE WHO LIVED IT

As a new member of JCI City Plus, I have been given a warm welcome and I have had the opportunity to meet people from different work and cultural backgrounds yet all of them have a similar vision- to grow and to make a difference in society Many people want to make a difference but need a platform that allows them to express their vision and encourage them to see it through JCI has a mindset of pushing its members to take on leadership roles, conquer their fear and help them develop their skills and realize their full potential.

R.Sharma said ‘’the greater the dream, the more important the team’’ Working on the project of ABC Stock Exchange gave me a practical experience It is more difficult for one person alone to make a project happen For example a project director needs a secretary, treasurer and dedicated members to see a project through. On another note, JCI members also know how to have fun and we also have talented Bollywood and sega singers in the group. Jivesh Tulsidas

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT: TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

Team building bring members together by encouraging collaboration and teamwork. We organize fun activities that help members see each other in a different light allowing them to connect in a different setting. At JCI City Plus, we make it a must to organize at least one team building activity every year. Here are some team building activities throughout the 15 years. • Initiation to Badminton • Initiation to Cricket Playing • Initiation to Quad Biking • Beach Olympics • Drum Playing • Initiation to Scuba Diving • Initiation to Golf • The Dina Robin Challenge

Debatingskillsequipmemberstoadvocatethe message of social responsibility, resolve conflicts, respect differences and overcome obstacles. Contestants discuss topics that are relevant to the JCI Mission, as well as global issues Capacity-building events like this build afoundationofteamwork,critical-thinkingand problem-solvingthatmembersusetoaddress issuesintheirowncommunities

JCIMauritiusPublicSpeakingChampionship

Public speaking is a critical skill for leaders to motivateotherstowardpositivechange During the JCI Mauritius Public Speaking Championship, the participants face the challenge of expressing creative ideas in a clear and captivating manner The championship offers the participants a unique opportunity to exercise and showcase their abilities and to share ideas on issues of particularimportancetothesociety.

JCI TOYP serves to formally recognize young people who excel in their chosen fields and create positive change By recognizingtheseyoungpeople,JCIraises the status of socially responsible leaders in this world. The honorees motivate their peerstoseekexcellenceandserveothers Their stories of discovery, determination and ingenuity inspire young people to be betterleadersandcreatebettersocieties Honorees selected in past years have represented the heights of progress in numerous human endeavors Many have goneontoevengreaterachievements.

JCIMauritiusNationalDebateChampionship

JCIMAURITIUSCREATIVEYOUNGENTREPRENEURAWARD

Recognizes all the creative work done by young entrepreneurs of 18 to 40 years old who aspire to grow their businessbyusingcreativewayslikeproductdevelopment,qualityserviceexcellencetothemarket.Creativity isthepillarintheireverydaybusinessfunctioning,toeitherresolveaproblemorbringaboutpositivechange intheiroperationsandprocesses.

NationalConvention

The National Convention is a 2-days event where all the 5 local organisations and members of JCI Mauritius come together – during which we review the Plan of Action adopted, goals set for the year, projects completed,andactivitiesorganizedbythedifferent localorganisations

During the General Assembly which forms an integral part of the National Convention, we elect theNationalPresidentandNationalBoardMembers of JCI Mauritius who will lead our organization duringthefollowingyear.

It takes place during a weekend and we usually finish with a team building. The Convention is a platform for members of the different local organizationstomeet,networkandbond.

JCIDay

Celebrated on The 11th of December, JCI Day is the event where awards are given to members and local organizations which have excelled during the oneyear

It is also the platform where the elected National Board Members, Local Board Members take the oath of serving our organization during the following year We also have the Presidential InaugurationCeremony

A CONVERSATION WITH DR HEMAN MOHABEER

YDuring my undergraduate studies, I was fascinated by how we could use a machine to show human emotions and I started reading about Alan Turing’s work on Thinking Machine. I was interested to know how our brain worked but my studies were in the field of computing I wanted to know how I could link the two. Back then, AI was not even a term I wanted to decode the reason why no Mauritians were pursuing studies involving the human brain and computing and took it as a challenge I wanted to break the code.

I was lucky enough to be guided by Dr Clarel Catherine and Professoror Kenneth Stanley -

(University of Central Florida). When I first spoke with the latter, he was not even aware of the existence of Mauritius! The difficulties back then were the slow internet connection and the absence of any specialist in Mauritius who I could turn to. I never once imagined that AI would become such a buzz term and today I am still fascinated about what AI can do to help us in our everyday lives AI is my passion

Aged35yearsoldonly, thisgentlemanisoneof thefinestexpertsin ArtificialIntelligence(“AI”) and“MachineLearning”in theworld.

Q. How do you assess the situation of AI in Mauritius?

It is important not to confuse programming and research In AI, it is the machine itself that learns the programme, so it is not rulebased

It will learn the programme by learning from its environment, ie a data set, like a child learns from its environment.

Unfortunately, in Mauritius, we are not even kept abreast of changes being made in the world of AI The government has set up an AI council which many people do not know even know about and there is a lack of qualified persons in AI in that council I also note the very limited scope of R&D as we tend to be followers instead of leaders There is also the lack of open data policy, that is, data that can be used to develop AI programs to solve social problems

This is crucial because at the end of the day, we need data to drive AI forward and to adapt solutions to the Mauritian context

Q. We say that AI learns? What does it really mean?

First, we need methodology. AI is the model but it is driven by data, which needs to be regulated and audited by a third party to ascertain its validity, whilst reducing the impact of unconscious bias (emanating from the people who derive the data).

In terms of research and development, we need to put the right people in the right place and to make investments. And behind all this, there needs to be a coherent and concrete national road map for AI, like they do in France or Canada.

It is also important to have a follow up on initiatives such as Innovtech. Similar to AI for Africa, we could invite companies like Google, RPAU and startups working on AI to come share their latest developments With these brainstorming sessions, you get to learn so much more. There are no sales, no politics-just demos, sharing of ideas and exchange of business cards.

We also need to offer AI as a proper undergraduate course at the University of Mauritius to upskill the students. At the end of the day, we are talking about bringing AI in Mauritius but we do not have the right ingredients. It is like trying to cook a briyani with water, sugar and milk

Q. Your biggest role models?

1.“AI”nstein

(Einstein)

He always thought outside the box and never limited himself to his environment, despite many challenges such as the treatment meted out from his own country

2. My Father

He always supports me even if he does not understand 90% of the things I tell him about AI! He always has, together with my mum, the right words He is with me on this journey And his biggest pride is his son and he made many sacrifices for me, even though he never pursued further studies

3 Alan Turing

His ability to think differently from others back then. He went beyond the normal limits in order to make things move forward.

A word to end

Einstein can be born anywhere! If you love something,haveagoalandgoforit

Q. What can we do to improve the situation in Mauritius?

#Flashback

From left to right: Top Row: Moulin Rouge Fundraising, 2020 JCI Day, Inspire & Connect Session with Me. Marc Hein

OUR TWINNING ORGANISATIONS

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WHAT ARE TWINNING ORGANSATIONS?

JCI, being an international network, encourages collaborations between local organisations to share good practices and create a greater positive impact. Twin organisations share special bonds as collaboration is even more enhanced. Our Twinning Organisations are JCI Dhaka South (Bangladesh), JCI Antananarivo (Madagascar) and JCI Emeraude (Ivory Coast). In addition, projects can take place with other local organisations, even in the absence of a formal twinning agreement

One example is the 2022 Edition of the Global Leadership Sprint organised with JCI New York City, under the leadership of Local

President Vreeshini Raojee

The International Journey of 2020 Executive Vice President, Asha Auckloo

‘A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step’…Lao Tzu

This saying summarizes my JCI Journey that started accidentally in 2011. But we sayeverythinghappensforareasonandeachandeveryonewecrossduringour journeyteachesussomething.Meetingaftermeeting,beingprojectmemberand afterswearinginasamemberofJCICityPlusin2011,Ihadtheopportunitytogrow and serve…. to be Better as we say. Seizing the opportunities presented to me, I served on the JCI City Plus Board as Local Secretary, Local Vice President and Presidentin2014.

Having gathered leadership skills and the passion to serve my community, I proudly served as member of JCI City Plus on the National Board. I was National Vice President in 2015, Deputy National President in 2016 and National Presidentin2017.

My first exposure to the ‘International Arena of JCI’ was in 2014 while I was serving as Local President. I attended my first JCI World Congress in Leipzig, Germany after which I attended the JCI Leadership Academy in Mito, Japan in 2016 where I graduated as Global Networker.

As every JCI member who attends the academy physically says, it was a life changingexperience.

I was elected as JCI Vice President in 2017inAmsterdamandwasassignedto serve JCI Africa and the Middle East in 2018. Assigned to seven countries namely South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Benin. Learning and assisting my assigned National Organisation, I learnt how to give back based on the experience that I gathered when I servedatLocalandNationalLevelinJCI Mauritius.

Fromtherethingsarenotaseasyaswe can imagine I visited all my assigned National Organisations before the JCI Africa and the Middle East Area Conference that was held in Benin and had the opportunity to visit two countriestwicenamelySouthAfricaand Zambia I attended the JCI Africa and Middle East Senate Association meeting in Jordan and the Asia and Pacific Area conferenceinKagoshima,Japanbefore ending the journey in Goa for the JCI WorldCongresswhereIwasrecognised by the 2018 JCI President Brian Lim as the Most Outstanding Vice President of JCIAfricaandtheMiddleEast

After serving as JCI Vice President , in 2019 I was a member in the JCI Marketing committee that had the responsibility to rebrand the organisation The new tagline adopted was the result of the marketing committee ‘Developing leaders for a changing world’. We also had the unique opportunity to host the 2019 JCI Africa and the Middle East Area conference in Mauritius where I led the eventscommittee.Anawesomejourney forthosewhowerepartofit…oneofthe bestmemoriesfortheJCIAfricaandthe MiddleEastAreafamily.In2019,Ihadthe opportunity to grow and assist 2016 JCI President Paschal Dike in the Local PresidentsacademyheldinJeju,Korea.

Africa and Middle East Advisor Baba, came to hug me before the announcement of the results and thankedmeforbeingthePrideofAfrica and the Middle East and JCI. I did not knowreallywhatwashappeningneither had I the clue of the markings of the nominations committee. During the VIP lunchoen on the day of the announcement, the Chairperson of the JCIAdvisoryBoardjustcametomeand as a blessing, touched my head and said .. ‘well done’ . The level of adrenaline was increasing as I felt the eyesoftheseexperiencedJCImembers onme.

After the lunchoen and during the General assembly it was indeed a moment of pride that I still feel today I got an ‘A’ grade something that happened after years from a JCI Africa andtheMiddleEastcandidate

Excited to start the journey as 2020 JCI Executive Vice President I did my first site visit to Burkina Faso for the incoming area conference All was going smoothly according to the set plans but as goes the saying of William GD Shedd ‘ A ship in a harbour is safe but that’s not what ships are built for ’ We were struck by the COVID 19 pandemic A challenging period for all JCI family but as goes the taglineDeveloping leaders for a changing world, together with the support of all the National Organisations, Africa and the Middle East development Council team,nomineesfromJCIAfricaandthe Middle on different committee, the Regional Office and my 2020 JCI Board memberssupportedbytheJCIAdvisors of Africa and the Middle East and encouraged by the 2020 JCI President Itai Manyere, JCI Africa and the Middle East conducted its first online conference.

A humbling journey of servant leadershipthattransformedmeinwhoI am today and paved my way to shine as a leader together with my team. Dreams come true, however it is not a fairy tale. They came true thanks to the support of my Local and National Organisation, mentors; such as Senator Bruneau Woomed, Senator Veena Lungur, Senator Philip Ah- Chuen, Senator Aruna Pulton, Senator Ryad Subratty, President Arnaud Godere and my Godfather Senator Marday Venkatasamy;andmyfamily.Thereisa lot of sacrifice and financial commitments, but this journey is worth living. JCIisindeedtheuniversityoflife… and I will end with my favourite line of ourJCICreed:‘thatservicetohumanity isthebestworkoflife’.

Graduates of the JCI Japan Academy

Since first becoming an officially endorsed JCI program at the 1987 JCI World Congress in Amsterdam, over 3,000 Global Networkers have graduated from the JCI Academy, which has now been held 30 times.

Each year, the JCI Academy aims to:

Deepen mutual understanding among participants from National Organizations around the world

Offer training opportunities for the global leaders of tomorrow. Contribute everlasting World Peace

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE...

Some of our Past Presidents had the opportunity to attend the JCI Academy and came back with lots of life changing experiences to share with us.

Senator Veena Langur, 2008

Local President- (23rd JCI Academy in 2010 in Tsukuba)

Senator Jessen Soobrayen, 2010 Local President (25th JCI Academy in 2012 in Sapporo)

Yudhishtir Rao Rama, 2011

Local President (28th JCI Academy in 2015, Tokyo)

Asha Auckloo, 2014 Local President (29th JCI Academy in 2016, Mito)

Roumesh Oomah, 2015 Local President (30th JCI Academy in 2017, Kumamoto)

Tasweena Girdhari, 2017 Local President (35th JCI Academy in 2022, Odawara)

Attending World Congresses and Area Conferences

Every November, members from across the globe come together for the peak pf the JCI Year at JCI World Congress. International officers are elected for the upcoming year. JCI Members also explore ideas for international initiatives and members have the opportunity to meet fellow citizens from highly diverse backgrounds. At this event, JCI’s critical mass of young people will unite to magnify the positive impact of the JCI Movement.

World Congress

Area Conferences

Every year, JCI Members meet in their regions to discuss with other National Organizations in their Area during Area Conferences. At these conferences, JCI gives its members the opportunity to address international issues and show their commitment to becoming socially responsible leaders. These global forums enable members to focus on solutions for their region and how they can grow, improve, share and create positive change across communities.