Mrs. Popsy Getonga was a successful Nairobi tour and travel operator, and she was also a Seychelles Tourism Ambassador who was liked and admired by the industry at large. Popsy was born Popsy Bastiana D’Souza from a Seychellois family line (leaving behind brothers Tony, Andrew, and George Staussi) and was previously married to Alfred (Alfie) Getonga of Nairobi.
Today the world is looking at women who made success in the tourism and business world and this has become a brownie point for many an organizations, but remarkable as it is, Popsy Getonga had this accolade under her belt even before this move became a plus and was noticed.
In the 1990s, after Alain St.Ange had taken the head of Seychelles Marketing before becoming the CEO of the island’s Tourism Board and later Minister of Tourism, he found Seychellois professionals in the diaspora at large and named Popsy Getonga of Nairobi a Tourism Ambassador.
“Popsy was a go getter who believed in tourism and who remained true to her line of work.”
The Tourism Ambassadors program was reserved only for Seychellois living in and working in the four corners of the world. It was set up with the notion that “you can take a Seychellois out of Seychelles, but you can never take Seychelles out of a Seychellois” and was calling on the diaspora to give a helping hand in the cities, towns, or villages where they resided and to be connected to their local press as no one else could do. Popsy Getonga became one of the first to take up the call and became a very active member of this group of foot soldiers.
Alain St.Ange said when hearing the sad news of Popsy Getonga that tourism had lost a believer and a dedicated trade member. He described her as:
“A Seychellois and a Kenyan who loved both countries with passion and who wanted only but the best for each and every Seychellois and for each and every Kenyans.”
Alain St.Ange
“I remember so well when she flew to Seychelles to be part of the island’s Tourism Ambassador’s Program – a proud Popsy who was standing on stage at the International Conference Centre alongside the President of the Republic and other dignitaries accepting her role as a ‘foot soldier’ that Seychelles so needed. Seychelles and Kenya lost a great friend and ally, and tourism lost a great personality,” said St.Ange.
The funeral of Popsy Getonga will take place in Nairobi this coming Friday.
