### Mayotte: A Government Visit Between Resilience and Reforms in Progress
The joint visit of the Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye, and the Minister of Overseas Territories, Jean-François Carenco, to Mayotte, takes place in a sensitive context marked by the devastating consequences of Cyclone Chido. This trip, which takes place a month and a half after the storm, raises broader questions about how the French State positions itself in the face of repeated crises in these overseas territories. Beyond the interim assessment of a natural disaster, this is an opportunity to reflect on the structural challenges endured by the archipelago, particularly in the educational and societal fields.
#### The Impact of Chido: A Disaster with Long-Term Repercussions
Storm Chido caused significant damage to Mayotte, highlighting the structural vulnerabilities of the archipelago. According to the latest reports, nearly 5,000 households are still in need, and access to basic infrastructure such as drinking water and electricity remains precarious. The repercussions are not limited to the physical reconstruction of buildings: they are causing a psychological crisis in a society already grappling with recurring socio-economic problems.
Teachers, already in the grip of an unstable situation, are expressing their discontent with degraded working conditions. Their demands go beyond the emergency in terms of school infrastructure. A call to rethink the education system, often perceived as unsuitable for local realities, is resonating more and more strongly. The Minister of Education could therefore not only consider an assessment of the destruction, but also consider a complete reform of the Mayotte educational model.
#### Eloquent Statistics: A Reflection on Education and Development
It is relevant to recall that Mayotte, despite its challenges, is one of the regions with the highest birth rate in France. According to INSEE, in 2021, the fertility rate in Mayotte was 3.38 children per woman, well above the metropolitan average of around 1.8. This demographic dynamic calls for the development of educational and health infrastructure, in line with the reality of the young and dynamic population. The State must not only respond to the emergency linked to Chido, but also anticipate future needs, to prevent similar situations from recurring.
#### A Reflection on the Identity and Autonomy of Island Territories
Other themes emerged from this visit, in particular the question of identity and the empowerment of overseas territories. In a global context marked by autonomy movements, the birth of an International Decolonization Front, as recently observed in Noumea, highlights a growing awareness of the territories about their future. This desire to reassess dependency relationships and a quest for identity are also spreading to Mayotte, where the emergence of a movement for greater autonomy would not be surprising.
Can we imagine a future where Mayotte, rather than being perceived as a neglected periphery of the hexagon, would be recognized as a full-fledged player on a regional scale? The decolonization dynamics maintained by certain territories can offer islands like Mayotte a platform to reassess their status vis-à-vis France, whether on political or economic issues.
#### Conclusion: A Vision of the Future for Mayotte
French policy towards the Overseas Territories must imperatively evolve to respond to local specificities in order to build true resilience and autonomy. The episode of Cyclone Chido reveals not only a human tragedy but above all a call for a collective awareness of the existential issues of islands like Mayotte.
The visit of two emblematic figures of the government, although deepened with a number of immediate measures, should also serve as a springboard for an engaged dialogue on the sustainability of development, education and cultural identity. At the heart of these reflections stands the question: how to transform a disaster into an opportunity to redefine the links between France and its overseas territories, while giving Mayotte the keys to its future? For many voices, the answer to Chido’s challenge lies not only in emergency management, but in building a united, sustainable and empowered future.
In short, at a time when the world is rediscovering the meaning of solidarity and cooperation, the time has perhaps come for Mayotte to claim its place in the national project, as an area rich in potential, not only in terms of biodiversity and culture, but also in terms of social and economic innovations.