Le Morne, Mauritius (PANA) – Speaking at a ceremony marking the 180th anniversary of the Abolition of slavery, Mauritian Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth, said on Sunday that the government will soon introduce a Marshall Plan to combat poverty and social exclusion on the island.
The anniversary took place at the Monument of the Unknown Slave, at Le Morne, in south-west of Mauritius.
The mountain of Le Morne, a world heritage site, is a symbol to the struggle against slavery. It is from the top of this mountain that many slaves, running away from the homes of their masters, threw themselves into the sea.
Today, it is the descendants of these slaves, called “creoles” who represent about 25% of the Mauritian population, that are the most affected by poverty.
Sir Jugnauth said education, training and resilience are fundamental things in life.
“They are the priorities of the government in the struggle against poverty,” he said.
The Prime Minister also announced the restructuring of the National Empowerment Foundation (NEF) to make it more proactive and improve service delivery to the poor.
For his part, the President of the Republic, Kailash Purryag, underlined the importance of the family in the fight against poverty and the scourges that are linked to it.
Hundreds of people attended the ceremony that was marked by a cultural programme, laying of wreaths at the Monument of the Unknown Slave and a film projection.
