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Oasis de Paix

Oasis de Paix is an NGO founded in 2006 by Father Henri Souchon, with the help of a few volunteers, to provide alternative education opportunities to adolescents in Port-Louis and its surrounding areas. The Père Henri Souchon School, managed by Oasis de Paix, is part of the ANFEN network.

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Services offered

Oasis de Paix provides a blend of formal and non-formal education with the aim of strengthening students so they can either integrate into mainstream education (for those who wish) or pursue vocational training. The courses offered include:

  • Embroidery
  • Sewing
  • Fabric Painting
  • Basketball
  • Jewellery Workshop
  • Floral Arrangement
  • Computer Science

 

In 2010, the school introduced a woodworking workshop with a focus on wood carving.

History

Oasis de Paix was founded on February 3, 2006, on Rue St Georges, Port-Louis, with a group of 18 adolescent girls, under the leadership of the late Father Henri Souchon. Initially, the NGO operated in a premises owned by the Catholic diocese, located right opposite the Immaculate Conception Church.

 

At the time, between 4,000 and 6,000 adolescents crossed Rue St Georges in the afternoons, and Father Souchon wanted to provide these young people (at least some of them) with a refuge, a calm and serene place where they could gather.

 

Monique Leung, who was engaged in support and listening sessions at a girls' college twice a week, met some girls she wanted to connect to Father Souchon's project. These were girls aged 14-15 years old who could neither read nor write, and an alternative education method was developed with them.

Thus, with Father Souchon and a few volunteers, Oasis de Paix was established.

 

Over time, the school (later named Ecole Père Henri Souchon) became affiliated with the informal education network ANFEN.

 

In 2007, just one year later, the number of students grew to 85 (including both girls and boys), and the premises on Rue St Georges began to lack space.

 

The diocese then provided them with a leased plot in Pointe aux Sables, where a new building was constructed.

Objectives
  • To provide a supportive environment for those aged 11 to 18 who have not succeeded in mainstream education (CPE - Certificate of Primary Education).
  • To implement tailored programmes customised to the educational level of each student.
  • To offer basic education through reading, writing, and arithmetic classes for those in need.
  • To foster intellectual and moral development by helping students achieve intellectual and moral discipline to realise their future projects.
  • To instil values and self-esteem in students.
  • To guide students towards employability and social integration.