Grand River South East Youth Circle

03/11/2026

Super excited to announce that one of our young leaders is currently en route to Réunion Island 🇷🇪 to represent Grand River South East Youth Circle and Mauritius 🇲🇺 at Ambition Planète 2026, taking place on 4–5 November in Saint-Denis! 🌊

Bringing the voice of Mauritian youth to a regional platform, this participation will be an opportunity to share local experiences, exchange ideas and build new connections around climate action, environmental protection and community resilience.🌱🌍

Stay tuned! 👀

Nordev | La Cinor | Région Réunion

01/11/2026

Huge thanks to Radio Plus for highlighting the journey of Gaishnav Ramalingum and Avishek Duhonarrain at the World Food Forum in Rome! 🇲🇺🌍

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | WFF Mauritius

Du 8 au 16 octobre 2026, Gaishnav Ramalingum et Avishek Duhonarrain ont représenté Maurice lors du Forum mondial de l'alimentation (WFF), organisé au siège de l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) à Rome.

Ce sommet d'envergure a rassemblé plus de 32 000 participants issus de 189 pays. Entièrement pris en charge par l'agence onusienne, les deux délégués mauriciens ont porté les priorités insulaires et régionales au cœur des débats stratégiques.

À 21 ans, Gaishnav Ramalingum, président de la section nationale WFF Mauritius et responsable du pôle environnement au Grand River South East Youth Circle (GRSEYC) ainsi qu'à SOA Mauritius, est intervenu lors de la session stratégique des sections nationales. Il y a détaillé les initiatives locales et participé aux réflexions sur la coordination avec la FAO, tout en prenant part au Forum mondial de la jeunesse et au concours d'innovation Future of Food Showdown : « Représenter Maurice m’a montré que la jeunesse des petits États insulaires dispose d’une perspective concrète sur la sécurité alimentaire, la santé des océans et le climat. Notre section souhaite désormais traduire ces échanges en actions concrètes sur le terrain mauricien », a-t-il souligné.

De son côté, Avishek Duhonarrain (28 ans), chercheur adjoint au FAREI et responsable régional pour l’Afrique subsaharienne au Conseil des politiques de la jeunesse du WFF, a pris la parole lors de trois tribunes majeures.

Dans un atelier dédié aux technologies hydriques, il a rappelé l'importance d'adopter des solutions économiques adaptées aux exploitants : « L'innovation doit s'adapter aux agriculteurs, et non l'inverse. » À la clôture de l'Assemblée des jeunes du Dialogue de Rome sur l'eau, il a plaidé pour l'intégration des jeunes dans les prises de décision, réclamant financements ciblés et reconnaissance des droits liés à l'eau.

Enfin, au pavillon des petits États insulaires, il a exposé la Déclaration de la jeunesse pour la transformation des systèmes agroalimentaires en Afrique, synthèse des consultations de plus de 900 jeunes de 48 pays. Ciblant les obstacles fonciers et financiers, le texte demande l’inclusion active des jeunes dans le plan 2026–2035 du PDDAA.

« La jeunesse africaine n'est pas qu'une simple bénéficiaire. Nous sommes des entrepreneurs, des chercheurs, des agriculteurs et des innovateurs qui doivent participer activement aux orientations du secteur », a insisté le chercheur mauricien.

22/10/2026

We are proud to share that Gaishnav Ramalingum, Grand River South East Youth Circle’s Head of Ocean, Environment and Climate Action, has returned from Rome, Italy, following his fruitful participation in the World Food Forum (WFF) Flagship Event 2026, alongside fellow Mauritian Avishek Duhonarrain. 🇲🇺🇮🇹

Both young leaders participated in this global gathering with their participation fully funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 🌱🥑

Gaishnav, who serves as President of WFF Mauritius, joined the WFF National Chapters Strategic Session, Global Youth Forum and Future of Food Showdown, among other sessions held as part of the flagship event which brought together more than 32,000 in-person participants from 189 countries. 🌍✈️

This marks Gaishnav’s second consecutive participation in the WFF Flagship Event, following the 2025 edition, reflecting his continued engagement in global food systems dialogue and the growing role of Mauritian youth in shaping it. 💬💪🏽

Sharing this international platform, Avishek Duhonarrain, the WFF Youth Policy Board Team Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa and Chair of Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Agriculture at WFF Mauritius, contributed to key discussions on agricultural water innovations, youth participation in water governance, and the transformation of agrifood systems in Africa. 🌱💧

For us, this participation reflects the value of supporting young people to connect community-level action with global conversations, build partnerships and bring new perspectives back home. 🫱🏽‍🫲🏼🌐

19/10/2026

Another media spotlight. Another opportunity to amplify a voice that matters. 🎙️❤️‍🩹

A heartfelt thank you to Radio Plus for shining a spotlight on Kheeleshwaree Gunga and her inspiring mental health advocacy journey in Côte d’Ivoire. 🇨🇮🌍

The story is travelling. And so is the message. 🇲🇺

Africa CDC | Université Alassane Ouattara | CHU de Bouaké | Programme National de Santé Mentale | Ministère de la Santé et de l'Hygiène Publique | Wellcome Trust

Santé mentale : Kheeleshwaree Gunga porte la voix mauricienne en Côte d’Ivoire

Seule représentante de Maurice parmi 35 boursiers issus de 22 pays d’Afrique francophone, Kheeleshwaree Gunga a participé, du 7 au 18 septembre 2026, à un programme intensif de leadership et de plaidoyer en santé mentale publique au CHU de Bouaké, en Côte d’Ivoire. Conçue par les Centres africains de contrôle et de prévention des maladies (Africa CDC), en collaboration avec les institutions ivoiriennes, cette session visait à former des décideurs capables d'inscrire durablement ces enjeux au cœur des politiques publiques.

À 21 ans, la responsable du pôle sport et santé du Grand River South East Youth Circle (GRSEYC) y a abordé la discipline sous toutes ses facettes : droits humains, déterminants sociaux, déstigmatisation et soins de proximité préconisés par l’OMS.

L'apprentissage théorique, enrichi par l'apport de l'intelligence artificielle, s’est doublé d’une immersion sur le terrain à Saminikro, consacrée à la prévention du su***de et aux risques liés aux pesticides en milieu agricole.

Plus jeune déléguée de sa promotion, Kheeleshwaree Gunga a partagé l'expérience associative mauricienne au sein d'un réseau panafricain confronté à des défis similaires. Elle entend désormais déployer ces acquis localement pour renforcer les actions menées par le GRSEYC.

18/10/2026

🗞️ Page 8. Sunday Times. And a Mauritian story from Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire. 🇨🇮🇲🇺

Kheeleshwaree Gunga took her place among Africa’s mental health advocates — and now the story travels a little further.

From the conversations in Bouaké to the communities back home, this is bigger than a trip. 🌍🔥

Thank you Sunday TIMES for telling her story. ❤️🙏🏼

Africa CDC | Université Alassane Ouattara | CHU de Bouaké | Programme National de Santé Mentale | Ministère de la Santé et de l'Hygiène Publique | Wellcome Trust

13/10/2026

Super grateful to Defimedia.info for highlighting our own Kheeleshwaree Gunga and her public mental health leadership and advocacy training in Côte d’Ivoire! 🇨🇮🌍

Selected as the only Mauritian among 35 fellows from 22 Francophone African countries, Kheeleshwaree took part in an intensive 11-day course in , organised by Africa CDC, Université Alassane Ouattara, CHU de Bouaké, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministère de la Santé et de l'Hygiène Publique and Programme National de Santé Mentale, with support from the Wellcome Trust. 🇲🇺❤️‍🩹

Catch the full story in today’s Le Défi Quotidien, page 18! 📰

12/10/2026

One of our young leaders is currently in , participating in the World Food Forum Flagship Event, taking place from 8 to 16 October 2026! 🇮🇹🌍

For a youth-led organisation rooted in a coastal community in , these international conversations are particularly important. Food security, ocean health, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture are deeply interconnected challenges, especially for . 🇲🇺🌊

At the Grand River South East Youth Circle, we believe young people should not only be part of conversations about the future, but also help shape them — from local communities to international platforms. 🌱🫱🏽‍🫲🏼

Stay tuned!

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | WFF Mauritius

30/09/2026

Our Global AgriInno Challenge 2026 journey made it to the pages of Sunday TIMES — and now the feature is online! 👀

If you missed it, you can catch the full story here ⬇️

🇲🇺 Yuvansh Nowbuth and Shruti Devi Ramtahul represented Mauritius in Hangzhou, China, taking Compost’Île — a youth-led circular bioeconomy initiative born in Grand River South East — to an international platform focused on the future of agriculture and food systems. 🌱♻️

A big thank you to Sunday Times for telling the story and helping bring this journey to an even wider audience. 🫶🏽

And thank you again to the partners who made this experience possible:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) • Zhejiang University • 拼多多

Read the full feature 👇🏽
https://sundaytimesmauritius.com/global-agriinno-challenge-2026-deux-jeunes-mauriciens-representent-lile-en-chine/

[Global AgriInno Challenge 2026] Deux jeunes Mauriciens représentent l’île en Chine September 21, 2026 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter Une initiative portée par des jeunes Mauriciens a franchi les frontières de l’île pour se retrouver sur la scène internationale. Compost’Île, un proj...

28/09/2026

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 🌱🍽️

What does a more sustainable food system look like – and what can we do to help build one? 🌍🇲🇺

Last week, WFF Mauritius brought these questions into the classroom at Westcoast International Secondary School in Cascavelle.

Led by Gaishnav Ramalingum, President of WFF Mauritius and Grand River South East Youth Circle's Head of Ocean, Environment and Climate Action, the team engaged more than 70 students in an interactive session on Sustainable Food Production and Consumption, organised with the school’s Food Science team as part of its Sustainable September programme. 🌱🥕

The session also featured Compost’Île, GRSEYC’s youth-led circular bioeconomy initiative, as a local example of how organic materials can be transformed into a resource for healthier soils and more sustainable food production. ♻️🌱

The session went beyond presentations. Through two interactive activities, students explored sustainable and unsustainable practices before identifying one action they would put into practice during the week. Their commitments came together as a collective sustainability tree 🌳 – a reminder that individual actions can contribute to wider change.

As the 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 is observed on 29 September (tomorrow), this workshop offered a timely opportunity to reflect on how we produce, consume and value food, and on the role each of us can play in reducing waste and making more conscious choices.

GRSEYC is proud to have supported this activity, helping bring a global food-systems conversation into a local classroom and creating space for young people to engage, reflect and turn awareness into action.

Because building more sustainable food futures is not just about what happens on farms, in markets or at policy tables. It is also about the choices we make – and the actions we take – every day. 🌍

A big thank you to Westcoast International Secondary School and its Food Science team for the collaboration, and to the students for their enthusiasm, ideas and commitment. 💚

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

World Food Forum

24/09/2026

Last week, Sagarika Sumootah, Yuvraj Nowbuth, Lutchmee Ragoonath and Chandraveer Lutchmun had the pleasure of representing the Grand River South East Youth Circle at the unveiling of the 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘂𝘀, hosted by the UNIVERSITÉ DES MASCAREIGNES at its Bel Air Campus.

Held under the theme “𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘬, 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘜𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘝𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘹 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘶𝘴”, the event brought together government representatives, researchers, private sector partners, NGOs and community stakeholders to explore how scientific evidence can inform the future of Mauritius’ coastlines. 🇲🇺 🌊

Developed by UdM’s Earth and Ocean Lab, under the EcoShield project supported by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the Coastal Vulnerability Index combines satellite data, GIS and environmental parameters to identify areas exposed to risks including shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, sea-level rise, storm surges and wave action. 🌊💙

The official unveiling of the Coastal Vulnerability Map was carried out by Dr. Kaviraj Sharma SUKON, Minister of Tertiary Education, Science and Research, with the event also featuring the Deputy High Commissioner of India in Mauritius, Mrs. Aparna Ganesan, UdM Acting Director-General Prof. (Dr.) Yashwantrao Ramma, and Dr. Jay Doorga, Head of the Earth and Ocean Lab.

Beyond the map itself, the discussions explored what comes next — from mangrove, coral reef and seagrass restoration to hybrid adaptation measures, coastal infrastructure, policy and governance. Technical presentations and cross-sector discussions showed how spatial science can move beyond diagnosis and support practical decisions for coastal resilience. 💪🏽🌍

For a youth-led organisation working with communities on ocean, climate and environmental action, being part of these conversations matters. Coastal resilience is not only a question for researchers and policymakers. It is also about the communities, young people and local actors who live, work and organise along our shores.

Thank you to Dr. Jay Doorga and the Earth and Ocean Lab at UdM for having our young leaders in the room and for opening the conversation around how this work can connect with communities and youth-led action.

There is a lot to learn from the map. And even more to do with it. 🌿🗺️🌊