Mauritius: Jacqueline Dursoniah

Jacqueline Dursoniah is 56 years old and is a Social worker. She is the founder member of the Non-Government Organisation (NGO) named Civic Action Team situated in Pailles. Jacqueline is currently President of the NGO. The main activities of the association are: Social Services, Socio-economic development Project(s): Setting up of a nursery

Background

Jacqueline Dursoniah discovered her passion and love in helping needy people voluntary at a very young age. She was 19 years old when she started actively to support and help needy people. When she says needy people, she implies “people living in poverty, women suffering from gender based violence, teenage mothers, needy single mothers, old people, youngsters, adolescents- in general all vulnerable groups”. Her father Joseph Raymond Dursoniah is the one who has inspired her in helping people.

She gives support to people when there are any natural disasters like cyclone, flood… etc. She acts like a coordinator. Sponsors, Companies, Volunteers reached out to her to coordinate the distribution of basic needs during disasters.

Apart from offering help to needy people, she also acts like counselor and trainer.

Social Worker

As mentioned above Jacqueline Dursoniah is known as a helping hand in Pailles. She is always helping and supporting families during natural catastrophe in Mauritius.

• During the last cyclone Berguitta, the 56 yearold women has been helping 77 families in Pailles. Being the President and founder member of the NGO Civic Action Team, she said that there was a lack of commitment from the Ministers and disorganization in some intuitions that were supposed to help the needy people. She said that she was very angry by the way the Minister of Social Security Etienne Sinatambou talked on that day. Thus, she came forward as usual to welcome the people and give them full support. She was there in Pailles to help the volunteers and companies who came to donate food, drinks or any other items to the people affected by the cyclone.

• This is not new to the people living in Pailles, as she is reputed as “sauveur”. In 2013, when Mauritius was affected by heavy rain causing flood, Jacqueline was there to give her support and help. She intervened strongly to make sure all people were safe and were having the basic needs.

Apart from helping needy people, together with a group of volunteers she is involved in other social works/ sectors.

• Jacqueline wants to eradicate poverty in the region of Pailles- Many sponsors like Maurel, Grewals came frequently to her office to offer basic needs to people in this region. She acts like a coordinator and make sure these items reached the needy people

• She also organized outings, Christmas and other activities mostly in the region of Pailles for children, families etc

• Jacqueline acts like counselor to old people, poor family, single mothers, youngsters in her region, that is Pailles. She also mentioned that the door of her office is open to the entire population and not only Pailles. She is at the service of the population in Mauritius, Rodrigues and Agalega. Whenever, these people have an issue regarding GBV, drug etc she is here to listen and counsel wherever possible. Otherwise, she directed them to respective institutions like NGOs, Ministries, Municipalities.

She informed that she even accompanied old people to the Social Security Office to help them with their queries.

• In 2017, Jacqueline and her Executive members of Civic Action Team have been working in collaboration with the Ministries, MP of Constituency of No1 and decision makers to try finding a solution for the drain issues in Pailles.

• Before joining the Civic Action Team, she has been working at the Mauritius Family Planning where she was delivering courses and counselling.

• In term of training she participated in the train the trainer courses on different subjects like living values, disciplines, Women Empowerment Program and IT and is delivering these courses:

1. She has been delivering courses to disciplines, living values in schools – primary and secondary schools.
2. She has also been working in collaboration with National Computer Board in delivering IT courses to young people.
3. She empowered women in her regions

• In 2017, She worked in collaboration with Police Force on the Road Safety program on regional level. Her pictures were even published in the Police Force magazine. She provided her insights on road safety to police tasks force.

• She worked also on the Muda campaigns.

She said that working for the needy people is not only a social work but her love and care convert that into a profession for her. As mentioned above she said that she gets this passion of helping others from her father Joseph Raymond Dursoniah. She said that never except something in return when you are helping.  She believes that many institutions who have the right structure to do things are not doing their job as it should be, thus she is supporting to the maximum.

People in the region of Pailles said that she is a life saver and “porte-parole”.

Her future objectives are:

• Continuing with social work to eradicate poverty in the region of Pailles as well as on regional and national level

• Continue to empower women through training and counseling

• Counsel young people pertaining to social issue. She wants to make sure that youngsters in Pailles are receiving the adequate attention, care and trainings.

• Lastly, she has the aspiration of integrating politics- either for Municipality or General election. She wants to make a difference and make her voice hear