Morocco Day Brings Down Curtain on Francophonie Week

Francophonie Week 2025 concluded at the Alliance Française de Sainte-Lucie, Pointe Seraphine, on Friday, with a celebration of Morocco Day.

The day began with a book fair and concluded in the evening with the screening of the Moroccan film, Mica. Following the film, Younes Dirhoussi, the Moroccan Chargé d’Affaires in Saint Lucia, expressed gratitude to attendees for their presence.

He described Mica as a compelling story reflecting real-life struggles, social disparities, and the challenges of illegal immigration, particularly in major cities like Casablanca.

“It’s about the striving efforts of a young man for a better life, achieving dreams and the dangers of illegal immigration,” Dirhoussi explained.

“The movie carries out several messages including passion for sport, ambition, hope, perseverance, resilience and determination and that’s the aspects we wanted to show through this movie, especially to the young Saint Lucians.”

Speaking to St Lucia Times, Dirhoussi added: “France is taught at all levels, so yes, participating in Francophonie Week was very important and we want to thank Alliance Francaise for giving us the opportunity to participate.”

He described French as the language of business, culture, and civilisation, adding that the Moroccan Embassy encourages Saint Lucians to learn French.

Through its Moroccan Agency of International Cooperation, the embassy offers approximately 20 scholarships annually for Saint Lucian students to study in Morocco. They have the opportunity to learn French while pursuing their studies.

Beyond education, Morocco also supports Saint Lucia in capacity building across fields like agriculture and tourism.

“Each year, Morocco grants through the Moroccan Agency of International Cooperation, about 20 scholarships to young students who are willing to study in Morocco. So this is the main aspect of our cooperation,” the Moroccan Chargé d’Affaires said.

At Friday’s event, Younes Dirhoussi presented a prize trip to the president of the Saint Lucia French Teachers Association, Ronelle Biscombe, to visit Morocco.

The event concluded with Iftar (the traditional breaking of the fast), where guests savoured Moroccan treats while engaging in discussions about the film.