Seychelles loses one of its literary gems.
83-year old author and poet, Regina Melanie, is remembered as a hardworking woman with rich cultural and ethical values
29 August 1932 - 1 March 2016
A well known and well loved author and poet, Regina Melanie passed away in the morning of 1 March 2016 after a short illness.
Mrs. Melanie was one of the first participants in the “Progranm alfabetizasyon” launched in the early 1980s, and although she had been compelled to leave formal schooling when she was in Primary 4 as a child, through the alphabetisation programme she was able to learn English, French, Creole and mathematics. When she left formal schooling, she worked as a labourer and cleaner at several places including the ministry of Education.
Penda Choppy, director of the Creole Institute, remembers Mrs. Melanie as a very hardworking woman with rich cultural and ethical values who was always willing to help regardless of the task. She says she met Mrs. Melanie during the meetings of the “Komite Lalang Kreol” where she found her to be an indispensable member with her rich knowledge of authentic Creole language. “Her death is an immense loss. It feels like a library has burnt down with everything inside”, Mrs Choppy told TODAY.
Also an executive member of the Seychelles Senior Citizens of Anse Royale, Mrs. Melanie has participated on compilations with other writers, including “Bardzour in fer” and “Madanm Mizlen e konpani”. She was also fond of reciting her poems to her fellow senior citizens during their encounters. Mrs. Melanie finally published her own book in 2013 through the Creole Institute entitled “Remor”.
This avid writer, mother and grandmother will be greatly missed by her five sons and three daughters as well as the literary community of Seychelles.
Source: Today.sc 3-3-16