Bel Avenir

Music is a motor of sensory and psychological awakening but also a source of convivial sharing. Poverty is the mother of many vices – not attending school, dropping out and dropping out of school, child labour, resignation of parental authority – which in turn will have consequences that will only aggravate this situation of poverty and underdevelopment.

The project of Casem is to ensure that as many young people as possible, especially young girls, are able to emerge from precariousness and promote themselves. To do this, the NGO Bel avenir has chosen to carry out this project using music and arts within reach. The centre came into being following the formation of the “Malagasy Gospel” choir and the batucada group “Bloco Malagasy”, both of which are groups reserved for young girls in the fight against early pregnancy and the promotion of gender equity. Then will follow the capoeiristas ” Roda Malagasy ” (in 2010), the brass band ” Malagasy marching Band ” (in 2012), the circus school ” Malagasy Circus ” (in 2013) and the puppeteers ” Les Géants de Tuléar ” (in 2015) as well as secondary activities such as piano, guitar, violin and cello lessons which are in expansion. At CASEM, art and music are used as effective means to convey awareness and educational messages to the beneficiaries and the general population, during public performances and during our intercultural exchanges. The exchanges are part of the ESIP programme (Education for International Solidarity and Peace), in Madagascar and around the world, in Europe, America and also in Africa. With the tours and exchanges of our groups, such as La Malagasy Gospel or La Bloco, the objective is to educate and raise awareness about child exploitation and children’s rights through music and different cultural activities.

In environments with little schooling, young people are more inclined to hang out in the streets without a clear direction and to engage in illicit and illegal activities but also become idle. Art and music are used in the centre as playful activities, but more importantly, as a means of education and sharing. They allow young people to have fun and to have the opportunity to practice an activity that they enjoy, to engage in a voice that will benefit them and their families. However, it is still very important to ensure that these activities are part of everyone’s education, as members are or should be in school, or at the very least follow a training course in order to have a perspective for the future.