stressed to the hilt waiting for the right opportunity to turn

their Seychelles Rupees into a currency they can use

elsewhere and then they are off. Paradise is having the

opposite effect on them.

It is hard to believe that Seychellois, a very placid and easy-

going nation of only 85,000 people, can suffer such a high

level of stress in the most relaxing place on earth. It is a real

paradox and one which takes a bit of time to comprehend.

This situation has arisen through history and it shows how

short-sighted some politicians were and perhaps still are

today that they believe such a small group of islands can be

Each inhabitant experience being told this word at least five

independent, have its own currency that is not acceptable

if not ten times each day when shopping for the bare

anywhere in the world, and teach a language in school that

necessities and for the shopkeeper this word just rolls off the

is useless anywhere else in the world, can be successful.

end of their tongue and has become perhaps the most used

This article highlights the cause of stress endemic in the

word in the Seychellois vocabulary. The other factor is the

most beautiful place on earth. History has shown that the

low-income level of the majority of the populous. When you

French used the islands and the islanders for their own

consider the average wage amongst non-professional

gains and left nothing for the islanders' future and

inhabitants is around 2000 Seychelles Rupees, which is

descendants except some very attractive names like Jean,

equivalent to less than £250 a month, and then compare

Michelle, Marie, Murielle etc., and the British left a Victorian

the high cost of importing everything you can see why the

clock tower in the middle of the Capital, Victoria, on the main

inhabitants are prone to feeling stressed. They have no

island of Mahe. The legacy has been shamefully non-

disposable income. The only money they have is the money

existent so we can trace stress as far back as when the

for necessities, which they cannot buy anyway. Amongst the

islands were granted independence from Great Britain on

professionals there is a level of stress caused by the

29th June 1976. How a small group of islands with hardly

inability for the wheels of Government to turn smoothly and

any landmass to cultivate and feed its inhabitants, lying

create a congenial place to do business. The Government

thousands of miles from anywhere which means everything

owns nearly everything, from land they confiscated from the

has to be imported, except for an abundance of fish in the

inhabitants who fled overseas during the one-party state era

sea, could be granted independence begs serious soul-

to the main importer of goods where they can apply any

searching by the politicians in Seychelles at the time and the

price they wish. There is talk of privatisation but talk is cheap

British Government in England. It comes down to the fact

unless action follows. Consequently, there is very little

that some politicians at the time wanted to be Presidents

money to go round therefore the economy is a strangled

and high officials and wanted the British to leave. This

economy. Another factor that stresses the inhabitants is the

African mentality that was in place at the time in Kenya,

local currency. The Seychelles Rupees is not recognized by

Uganda and Tanzania found its supporters in Seychelles and

any bank outside Seychelles and everyone gets paid in

this is what started the endemic stress problem in

Seychelles Rupees. That means if you want to send your

Seychelles. From then on it has been a downhill situation.

child abroad to study you have to apply for your Rupees to

be exchanged for dollars or pounds with the Central Bank.

The problem is the Central Bank is short of Foreign

Exchange so you have to wait in the queue sometimes for

The answer lies in improving the economy and creating jobs

up to two years. If you are a businessman and you want to

for the young generation so that the everyday causes of

buy your goods from overseas you have to queue for your

stress can be minimized. Once the inhabitants can see there

Foreign Exchange. In the meantime your business does not

is a future then they will relax and be inclined to hope for a

have the raw material for you to trade, so many businesses

better future and the word "Napa" will become a rarely

collapse before they have a chance to break even.

spoken word. The political climate is changing and the old

guards who contributed so much to creating such a mess

For the young generation, especially those who have spent

are slowly being replaced with a fresh thinking younger

a number of years abroad gaining a degree or other

generation. Change must come and the sooner the better.

qualifications, to find that a suitable job is as rare as finding

Notwithstanding, if you are a tourist then this little group of

the hidden treasures of Seychelles left by the pirates the

islands that I call home is where you will find friendship,

stress level is considerable. What do they do? They can't go

relaxation, peace of mind, good food, excitement and

to town and spend time at the cinema because there is only

beauty;and you would not know there is a devastating

one cinema and it opens in the evening only. They spend a

under-current flowing in the inhabitants.

few minutes in the Internet Café then they have nothing else

to do. They are fed up with going to the beach so the beach

Barry Laine is the Founder of Transform-Therapies.

is not an attraction to them. So they get stressed being

Email: barrylaine@transform-therapies.com or

bored and having no money to spend on CDs and DVDs to

visit www.transform-therapies.com

pass their time away. During the old one-party state era

there was a compulsory youth programme called NYS but

the horror stories that emerged from those camps are hair-

raising and numerous. Either way paradise is breeding a

new generation of stressed out future citizens. Even

outsiders and investors who have come to Seychelles to do

business have found they have been deceived and they are