At the Montpellier Opera, a choir for the reconstruction of sexually exploited women

2023-04-23 17:22:31

The Mouvement du Nid association, in collaboration with the Montpellier Opera, organizes singing workshops for African women who have suffered violence, particularly sexual violence, during their migration journey.

Every Thursday for two years, women who have suffered violence during their journey between Africa and France meet at the Opéra National de Montpellier to sing. It was the Mouvement du Nid association, which acts in favor of people who have fallen into prostitution, which brought them together.

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“These are young women who for the most part have been victims of human trafficking. They are mainly from Nigeria and during their migratory journeys, they have experienced enormous violence, including prostitution. The Opera workshops are therefore part of the social support offered to them.“, explains Alexandra Jouhanneaud, project manager for the Mouvement du Nid.

“A moment just for them”

Each singing session, which lasts an hour and a half, is a way to forget for a moment the traumas of their past. “I forget my worries when I sing, but if the thing is monstrous, I can’t forget it. Sometimes I get there, but not all the time“, confides Cynthia, one of the participants.

For Fabunmi, 51, the strength of this choir lies in the bonds that are created between the women. “It brings me a lot, because we know each other, we can talk together. I’m excited when I come to singing class, meanwhile my sorrow goes away“, she says.

Over the months and through hard work, the voices improve and harmonize. However, technical progress is not the primary goal sought. For Noëlle Thibon-Gokelaere, choir director who gives the “cIt’s a decompression chamber for them, it’s a moment just for them. And then we are in listening, in music, we are in the body, in sharing, that’s what the choir is for.”