Malagasy Gospel comes to Monaco
Published on 23 November 2023 at 15:31 - Modified the 16 January 2024 at 16:24
From 18 to 23 November, Monaco welcomed Malagasy Gospel, a gospel choir made up of young Madagascans from disadvantaged backgrounds. Meetings, exchanges, concerts, sustainable development and children's rights were at the heart of this short but intense stay in the Principality.
The choir comprises 12 young girls aged from 15 to 23 and a young blind man, who go on tour to Europe, visiting France and Spain. This year, the travelling choir visited the Principality, where many organisations came forward to welcome them, in particular associations such as FAR, the Guides and Scouts of Monaco, the Princess Stephanie Youth Centre and AMAPEI, all very keen to make sure the Monaco visit left them with unforgettable happy memories.
Some of the activities enjoyed by the members of Malagasy Gospel were:
- Participating in the closing ceremony of the No Finish Line, on the track as well as on the stage;
- Exploring the town through a treasure hunt prepared by FAR;
- Visiting the Oceanographic Museum accompanied by students from the IUM as part of their ‘IUM Commits’ programme;
- Meeting school students and taking part in the World Children’s Day, organised by the Department of Education, Youth and Sport at Princess Antoinette Park, this year highlighting the Rainier III Preventorium in Madagascar.
All these events were rich in valuable and extensive intercultural exchanges based around games, singing and dancing with children and young people from Monaco, with a particular focus on sustainable development and protecting the environment.
Finally, the highlights of the visit were two concerts given by Malagasy Gospel, on the evenings of Saturday 18 November at the Troparium in the Rainier III Auditorium, and Tuesday 21 November at Saint-Charles Church.
Malagasy Gospel was formed by the Association Bel Avenir in Toliara, in the South-West of the island. This Malagasy NGO has been supported by the Department of International Cooperation for many years, under the Public Aid for Development Policy of the Prince’s Government.
More information at: https://malagasygospel.org/ ; https://ongbelavenir.org/