Born: 30 September 1941, Seychelles
Died: 25 February 1997
Country most active: Seychelles
Also known as: NA
Marie-Madeleine Danielle de Saint-Jorre d’Offay was a prominent Seychellois figure, contributing significantly as an educator, linguist, diplomat, and politician. Her enduring legacy lies in her advocacy for the defense and promotion of Seychellois Creole, striving for its recognition as the national language of the Seychelles.
Danielle pursued her education at the universities of York, London, and Edinburgh. Upon returning to the Seychelles, she embarked on a career as an educator and linguist, eventually becoming the director of the Teacher Training College and later the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education.
Her tenure as Secretary of State provided a platform to champion Seychellois Creole. Collaborating with Annegret Bollée, she translated the Gospel of Saint Mark into Creole in 1974 and introduced a new orthography for the language in 1978, titled Apprenons la nouvelle orthographe,” accompanied by six Seychellois tales. Actively involved in the Bann Zil Kreol association, formed in 1981, she assumed its presidency in 1983, uniting Creole-speaking personalities.
In a pivotal linguistic policy development in 1981, through her efforts, the Seychelles Progressive People’s Front recognized Creole’s legitimacy as the primary national language, formalizing it as the national language in 1983. English and French followed in significance. Danielle initiated the teaching of Seychellois Creole in schools from 1982.
Simultaneously, from 1983 to 1986, she held the position of Seychelles Ambassador to Paris and Bonn and High Commissioner to London. Subsequently, between 1987 and 1989, she contributed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Planning.
President France-Albert René appointed her Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Planning in 1989. In a ministerial expansion in 1992, she assumed the additional role of Minister of the Environment. Danielle held these positions until her demise in 1997, succumbing to cancer in a Parisian hospital.
Among her notable publications are “Apprenons La nouvelle orthographe” (1978) and the Seychellois-French dictionary (1982) co-authored with Guy Lionnet. In her honor, the International Ocean Institute has awarded the Danielle de San Jorre scholarship since 2000, supporting women from small island states in oceanography studies.