Our News
Interested in finding out about what’s happening at Dukesbridge? We are constantly exploring new uncharted grounds and pushing forward, stepping further into what is possible. Check out the featured articles section or our podcast.
Featured Articles
Featured in Investor’s Mag, 23rd Edition, Dec 22 – March 23
Rishi Nursimulu sat with Investor’s Mag to talk about The Dukesbridge Group, the largest chain of private schools in Mauritius, which has a growing presence in East Africa with two schools in Kenya.
Podcast – Season 2
Take a guess…what’s the happiest job on earth according to research?
As we continued exploring further the topic of “Happiness at Work”, we came across the UK’s largest study of work happiness. The research ranked the level of happiness by sector. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that Education came out on top! If you want to have the full list, check this out: https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/jobs/o…
For episode 7 of our Season 2 podcast therefore, we decided to Get Schooled on Joyful Learning with none other than Shan Fayd’Herbe, the Head of Learning at Dukesbridge. To know her is to love her! With an awe-inspiring journey spanning over three decades in the realm of education (formerly a Headmistress in South Africa and the Principal of Westcoast International Primary school), Shan’s tales from both South African and Mauritian classrooms are nothing short of enlightening. Her vibrant narrative showcases the spirit, challenges and evolution of education – and of course, what makes education a truly fulfilling and “happy” career.
In particular, this episode unwraps:
-The teaching profession
-Crafting happiness in classrooms
-The main stressors which teachers face
-Teachers or Senior Leaders – Who’s steering the happiness ship?
-Should I socialise or stay in my class?
-Handling the occasional “bad egg” in an otherwise sunny-side-up team!
-Mastering feedback: The delicate dance of praise and constructive critique
Listen, learn and laugh as we discover the fun-filled chapters of “Happiness at Work (and School!)”.
#happiness #education #podcast #dukesbridge #happy23
Can employees of a 5-star hotel really be happy providing to their guests the royal treatment and luxury which they themselves will not experience?
Yes, we know we always ask the hard questions! And for Episode 5 of Season 2, Sebastian La Hausse de Lalouvière, the Chief People Officer & Group Legal Counsel for Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, was in the hot seat to answer them.
At Dukesbridge, our ethos revolves around teaching happiness, and the intriguing tagline of Beachcomber, “Feel the happiness you give,” certainly sparked our curiosity. How do they embody this philosophy in their day-to-day operations? Find out now as we explore an array of compelling topics:
– The inspiration and philosophy behind Beachcomber’s EVP
– Employee morale during and after the challenging era of COVID-19
– The happiness paradox of living modestly while ensuring guests revel in luxury
– Potential programmes and initiatives to enhance work-life balance
– Managing professionalism and cultural diversity within the workplace
– Key strategies and factors that contribute to workplace happiness
We encourage you to share your thoughts, repost this episode, and join us in shedding light on the captivating world of “Happiness at Work.”
Get ready to dive into an energising episode of “Happiness at Work” as we sit down with Yashmee Dewoo Issur, the incredible Head of Human Resources at Accenture. Overseeing teams of over 4,000 staff in Mauritius and 250+ in Vietnam, Yashmee’s approach as a true “people person” adds a unique touch to this episode.
In this insightful conversation, we dive deep into:
-What does “Happiness at Work” really mean when you’re sitting at the helm of HR?
-Discovering happiness by valuing one’s role in the workplace
-Success stories proving a happy workplace = better business outcomes (win-win!)
-To spend or not to spend? Striking a balance in employee events, benefits, and monetary incentives.
-Exploring the “give and take” philosophy that shapes our work dynamics.
-Can you really make everyone happy in the workplace?
And for all you pet lovers out there, imagine a world where you can have “bring your pet to work day” or even having “pet insurance” as a perk! Yes, Yashmee also touches on these modern-day workplace wonders.
Your feedback lights up our day! Engage, share, and help us spread the joy of “Happiness at Work.”
Welcome to Episode 3 of “Happiness at Work”! We were delighted to host Mr Mikir Shah, the visionary Founder and CEO of Africa Specialty Risks (ASR), the largest reinsurer in Mauritius and with operations across the whole of #Africa. Mikir and Dukesbridge’s very own founder were former Directors within the same M&A team (Financial Institutions Group) at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank many years ago. They discuss the role of money in happiness at work amongst other several topics:
-Finding joy and purpose in the jobs that some may find to be “dry”
-Leadership’s impact on workplace happiness
-Embracing change and stepping out of the comfort zone to be happy
-CEO’s role on ensuring all employees are heard and managing behaviour
-Nurturing a positive workplace culture
-Motivating people who are not frontliners and who work behind the scenes
-Embracing failure as a stepping stone
We invite you to share your thoughts, repost the episode, and help us spread the word about the captivating world of “Happiness at Work”.
#happinessatwork #podcast #season2 #happy
If you have only 1 senior vacancy and 10 people apply for it within your organisation, by default you will be disappointing 9 of them. How can you ensure that everyone remains happy?
🙋♂️ How social / friendly can you be with your colleagues, how much of your personal life should you share with them?
Welcome to the challenging reality of “Happiness at Work” for a CEO! In this Episode 4, we had the privilege of hosting Ravin Dajee, the Managing Director and Executive Director of Absa Group (Mauritius). Since 2007, Ravin has successfully steered the bank (formerly Barclays) to become a key player in the Mauritian banking sector 🇲🇺
During this thought-provoking discussion, Ravin opens up about a number of issues he has observed during his time at the helm of one of the largest banks in Mauritius. Amongst them are:
– Uncovering the aspirations of the new generation of workers
– Navigating between having fun at work and maintaining productivity
– Identifying the key factors that contribute to workplace happiness
– Addressing the challenges of sustaining happiness within the workplace
– Exploring the dynamics of flexibility and working-from-home arrangements
– Finding pride in one’s workplace and fostering a positive environment
– Climbing the ladder of success and its impact on happiness
– Delving into the nuances of over-sharing and relationships in the workplace
We invite you to share your thoughts, repost this episode, and join us in spreading the word about the captivating world of “Happiness at Work.” Your support and engagement make our mission even more meaningful. Thank you for being a part of our journey!
The first episode of Season 2: Happiness at Work is here! We couldn’t be more excited to launch this remarkable season with a truly exceptional guest, Charlotte Pierre, the British High Commissioner to Mauritius. 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? Charlotte Pierre is the first female British High Commissioner to Mauritius.
In this episode, we dig into the captivating realm of workplace happiness, all while unraveling some intriguing revelations about Charlotte’s favourite foods and her journey leading up to her current role. (prepare to be surprised 😉).
Join us as we explore a variety of thought-provoking topics:
• The Government’s role in promoting happiness
• The significance of fostering happiness at work
• Effective strategies to enhance “workplace happiness”
• A look into the UK’s trial 4-day working week
• Empowering employees to take charge of their own happiness at work
• The fascinating generational gap between older and younger employees
We encourage you to share your thoughts, repost this episode, and help us spread the word about the captivating world of “happiness at work”.
#Dukesbridge #HeartToHeart #SeasonTwo #HappinessAtWork
Do we really need “funsultants” or a “Chief Happiness Officer”?
🙋 Should we just quit if we’re not happy in our current job?
In our exciting episode 2 of season 2 “Happiness at Work”, we discuss these (and much more) with Charles Crowl, a passionate people developer, business leader and organisational coach. Charles was born in Australia, acquired significant experience working many years for L’Oréal globally and is currently at ThriveX. He shares his insights on creating a happy work culture in today’s world. Join us as we explore:
-Embracing diverse cultures within an organisation and fostering harmony
-Understanding corporate culture and its significance
-The power of investing in happiness strategies and techniques
-How happiness contributes to organisational success
-Debunking the myth: Is a Chief Happiness Officer a real role?
-Navigating career growth versus pursuing a complete role change
-Exploring the cliché: “Find a job you love and never work a day in your life”
We encourage you to share your thoughts, repost this episode, and help us spread the word about the captivating world of “Happiness at Work.”
Podcast – Season 1
With the rise in divorce rates, society is gradually getting used to the concept of a “blended family”. Yet balancing a relationship with your stepchild and your own child along with the ‘taboos’ of remarriage is usually a source of anxiety for many. Our next guest on the podcast, Mrs Vandina Chakowa Hassamal, shares with us her experience of stepping into a relationship with her previously married husband and stepson. Despite what some may refer to as unconventional, Mrs Hassamal goes the extra mile to find wonderful ways to stay happy, active and have fun at home with her blended family. She is truly an inspiration for the modern family!
In this episode, we touch on:
– The impact on divorce on children: then vs now
– Co-parenting and the stepparent role in a child’s life
– Making your marriage work with stepchildren (and your own children)
– The perception of favouritism in a blended family
– Activities to create a happy home environment
– Ways to enjoy time with your children
We would really love to hear your feedback on these topics, feel free to comment, share and repost.
In our season one finale of Heart to Heart, we are thrilled to welcome our three youngest, incredibly brave guest speakers: Rya, Simnan, and Radhakrishnen from Dukesbridge Primary School. Having covered the parents’ perspectives throughout the whole season, we wanted to end with what children really feel about happiness at home. Despite their initial shyness, these remarkable individuals quickly opened up. With a good balance of humour and innocent truth, they generously shared their insights, personal experiences and emotions as we touched on:
– Things that parents do that become happy memories for the children
– The importance of parents’ physical presence at home
– Do kids need to hear “we are proud of you” when they already know it?
– Dynamics around siblings at home
– How kids feel about being disciplined by parents
– Responsibilities and routines at home
– Dealing with getting in trouble, arguments, and emotions
– What makes mum and dad happy
We hope these topics will spark further meaningful conversations and reflections on the joys and challenges of family life at home. Please don’t hesitate to share your comments, repost, and spread the word.
31 Oct 2021. A young Monisha Reddi died, leaving behind her husband Vimalen Reddi and two children aged 1 and 4. How unfair is life sometimes! Mr Reddi, an accomplished barrister, could have gone down the route of depression. Somehow, going through that terrible experience transformed him into a calm, collected person who appreciates life in the smallest of things. Listening to him speak, it is clear that this is the legacy that his wife left him and we are so thankful that he was brave enough to open up to us about it on this podcast. His/her story will change your way of thinking about our worst possible nightmares. Have your tissues ready. 😭
Among topics covered, we discussed:
– Coping with the grief of losing a spouse
– The process of turning negative thoughts into positive actions
– Practising gratitude as a way of living
– Putting on a happy front for one’s children whilst dealing with grief
– Can children handle the hard truths?
– Can sadness and happiness co-exist?
– Can one still feel happiness for others after experiencing grief?
Feel free to comment, share or repost. We would really love to hear your feedback.
You’ve guessed it right, this is Hugh Grant that you see in the photo. And yes, you will need to watch the podcast to understand what the connection is! 😆 But seriously, we are so stoked about our next guest: Mrs Kirsty Lallchand. Kirsty is our Head of Primary at Dukesbridge and has acquired a ton of experience (both in the UK and in Mauritius) about situations involving children’s behaviour towards their parents. She describes herself as being a bit ‘ditzy’, but that’s only because she’s a wonderfully fun and happy person. To know her is to love her. She is a big believer in Teaching Happiness, which is the school’s ethos, and has many tips and practical advice for parents. In this episode, we discussed:
– Fostering happiness at home
– Setting the tone for a happy home with positive discipline
– How the atmosphere at home may impact your child
– Maintaining a healthy parent-child relationship
– Success for an adult vs for a child
– Training our children to become independent
– If happiness is really a choice
“Having kids makes us less happy” according to Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert. Did we all make the wrong decision?
This was our first question to an amazing Parenting Coach, Anne Rajoo, our third guest on the Heart-to-Heart podcast. Anne was a guest speaker at our Parenting Seminar last year and won the crowd over. She has become a sought after speaker who shares her wisdom and interesting strategies to help people become the parents they want to be. Anne is a loving mother to two gorgeous boys and shares her personal revelations about motherhood and how she turned her life around from overwhelm to outright magic.
Among topics covered, we discussed:
– Children being a source of happiness or stress
– Why our children’s behaviour triggers us
– How can I stop being grumpy? I want to be a happy parent
– Pressure on parents to have it all together
– Creating rituals to put boundaries on work/play balance
– Maintaining discipline with the kids and not becoming their enemy
Feel free to comment, share or repost. We would love to hear your feedback.
How to find Anne: https://www.annerajoo.com/
Mental health. That thing that everyone “supports” but not everyone actually musters enough courage to open up about when it comes to one’s own battle. We therefore have huge respect towards our next guest on our Heart-to-Heart podcast, Mark van Beuningen, for sharing his experience about his recent burnout. We strongly believe that Mark’s honest conversation will help many people realise that there is no shame in asking for help if they’re struggling. We love how this became a catalyst for him to review his life choices in order to achieve long-term happiness. Mark is the CEO of listed company Cim Finance, husband to the wonderful Camilla and father to three beautiful girls.
Among topics covered, we discussed:
– the meaning of happiness for an accomplished corporate CEO
– How to keep home and work happy as a leader with significant responsibilities
– Should I wait for that promotion or that position to relax and focus on family?
– Workaholics
– Does a corporate high-flyer need to be physically and personally involved with the kids?
– Danger for the children to use daddy’s success as a CEO as a benchmark for happiness
Feel free to comment, share or repost. We would love to hear your feedback.
Our first Heart-to-heart podcast, the first episode of Season one: Happiness at Home.
Our guest is none other than Mrs Johanne Hague, an executive high-flyer who runs a busy legal practice (Prism Chambers), sits on the Board of the largest local bank and has become an influencer on LinkedIn in recent months with her weekly podcasts. All while being the loving mother of two beautiful children Chloe and Raphael.
Johanne shares her views around being a failure. Yes, you’ve read that right! Well, we did warn you that Heart-to-heart digs deep underneath the surface and goes beyond cliché responses… But she also talks about how she has turned that situation into an opportunity for personal growth and redefining her take on happiness.
Among other topics covered, we discussed:
– People’s assumption that “success” is a reflection of happiness
– Children’s perception of their parents’ accomplishment as the standard to meet to become happy
– Failing is painful. How does one find happiness when faced with failure?
– For the sake of having a happy family, should parents prioritise spending time at home with kids over chasing after career goals?
– Parents’ expectations of their children’s achievement as a marker for their future happiness.
Feel free to comment, share or repost. We would love to hear your feedback.
How would you react to being told that your precious little baby would be born “different”?
Overwhelmed emotionally, disappointed, resentful, hopeless? Sunita Ancharuz-Sawoky admittedly went through all these very rational feelings when she initially found out that Riddhi was going to be born with Down Syndrome (DS). However, it did not take long for her to realise that Riddhi was the greatest wake-up call for her, a huge blessing in disguise. Over time, she has changed her definition of happiness and we are sure that her story will bring hope to those who may find themselves in similar situations. But even if you feel that you are not directly concerned, we urge you to watch this podcast as there is so much that society can do to help and support parents of children with special needs.
Feel free to comment, share or repost. We would love to hear your feedback.
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