France supports new Francophone hub with VT6.8M
June 12, 2025 10:34 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Hilaire Bule.
The French Ambassador to Vanuatu, Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer, on Tuesday donated VT6.8 million to support the operation and activities of the Francophonie in Vanuatu.
The donation coincided with the official opening of the Maison des Francophonies (House of Francophonie) at Dumbea in Port Vila, which now serves as a new regional hub for Francophone engagement in Vanuatu and the Pacific.
Ambassador Vilmer handed over the cheque to Port Vila Mayor Jenny Tasale Regenvanu, who also chairs the newly established Maison des Francophonies in Port Vila.
The French Ambassador said the contribution reflects France’s ongoing support for Francophone communities in Vanuatu and across the Pacific.
“It is with joy that I hand over this cheque to the Mayor, who is also Chair of this House. Today, this House becomes reality. It is a collective project built on cooperation, social innovation, and inclusion,” said the Ambassador.
He added that the Maison des Francophonies is the result of renewed cooperation following Tropical Cyclone Pam, when France and New Caledonia committed to working more closely with Vanuatu on culture, resilience, sustainable development, and Francophonie initiatives.
He noted that in 2017, the municipalities of Dumbea in New Caledonia and Port Vila agreed to build the facility, which was completed at a total cost of VT131 million.
Dumbea handed over the completed building to Port Vila in 2020, and it was initially named Relais de la Francophonie.
Despite damage from the December 2024 earthquake in Port Vila, a partnership agreement was signed in January 2025, and a legal association was formally registered the following month.
This week’s inauguration marked the official transformation of Relais de la Francophonie into the Maison des Francophonies.
The facility is the first of its kind in the Pacific and functions as a cultural, educational, and social space.
A press statement issued after the ceremony described the House as “a vibrant centre of dialogue, action, and cooperation serving Francophone communities in the region.”
Described as a project rooted in inclusion and diversity, the Maison des Francophonies was initiated by the Port Vila Municipality in partnership with the Ministry of Education and is chaired by Mayor Regenvanu. It hosts three main activity centres: a leisure centre, an eco-social centre, and a skills development centre. The space is open to youth, families, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs, associations, and citizens engaged in Francophone life.
The Minister of Lands, Rick Tchamako Mahe—representing the Minister of Education at the ceremony—acknowledged the project’s momentum, citing the recent appointment of Lucie Nauka as National Correspondent to the International Organisation of La Francophonie and Head of the Maison des Francophonies.
Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Noah Patrick Kouback, said the House serves a strategic purpose as both a symbol of cooperation between Vanuatu and the Francophone world and as a platform for regional outreach.
