“My baby suffers here in this camp.” Those were the words of Taiwo Yussif, the mother of baby Mercy, earlier this spring as she and her toddler waited to be released from a refugee camp in Sicily. “I want it to stop,” she told journalists from France Inter. “We have been here for too long.”

Fast forward to today and little Mercy — the subject of Madame Monsieur’s Eurovision 2018 song — and her mother are now in a much better place. They’ve left the refugee centre, Taiwo is studying Italian so that she can secure a job and young Mercy is attending nursery school. Last month France’s electro-duo finally met with them, sharing stories and plenty of tears.

And now Madame Monsieur are taking things to another level and have shared the link to a GoFundMe page that seeks to raise money for Mercy’s future.

You can make your donations on the GoFundMe web site.

“Friends, over the past few months many of you have asked us how it is possible to give a boost to little Mercy and her mom at the start of their new life,” they wrote on Instagram.

“It took time because we had to do things the right way, but today it’s possible. So small or large, each contribution will now be part of the future they start to build.”

It’s a beautiful gesture that shows the duo’s commitment to the child and her mother.

Writing on the GoFundMe site, the duo share a bit of the backstory that Eurovision fans are very familiar with.

“A little more than a year ago we told the story of Mercy in a song that moved a lot of people in France and abroad, until we reach the final of Eurovision on May 12 in Lisbon. We are proposing to collect donations to help little Mercy and her mother.”

Mercy was born in March 2017 aboard the Aquarius, the humanitarian ship of the SOS Mediterranean NGO, just after her mother was saved from the water.”

“On their arrival in Sicily, they were placed in the largest migrant camp in Europe, where they lived for nearly a year and a half.”

“For a little over a month, thanks to the voluntary work of an association of Sicilian lawyers, Mercy and her mother are finally allowed to look to the future. Mercy will integrate locally and Taiwo will learn Italian.”

“Taiwo has simple dreams: to help her daughter have a good life, send her to school, and find a job. She has experience as a seamstress. Now, Taiwo and Mercy need a boost in this new life.”

Madame Monsieur meet Mercy

Fifteen months after they were moved by her emotional story, Madame Monsieur finally met Mercy in September.

The duo shared their first comments on the meeting in the newspaper Nice Matin, along with a moving image of Émile holding the bouncing toddler.

Still buzzing from their encounter, the electro-pop songstress described the meeting.

“She literally climbed on me, grabbed my neck and stuck her cheek against mine. I did not know what to do — I was petrified by happiness.”

 

Read more France Eurovision news

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sureeeeee
sureeeeee
5 years ago

Suddenly the mother became claustrophobic

No big 5.
No big 5.
5 years ago

No. This song from France make me sick. What a shame this song from France. I did boycot it since day one and I m happy europe did not like it. What a hypocrite action from France. Shame on them.

Stephanie
5 years ago
Reply to  No big 5.

You should be ashamed of yourself saying horrible things like this! It’s a lovely gesture on the part of Madame Monsieur, they were able to share Mercy’s story with the whole world thanks to Eurovision, and that was their goal from the start. All they want is for this little girl who inspired their song to have a better life with her mother

No big 5.
No big 5.
5 years ago
Reply to  Stephanie

Its a shame Stephanie. A song about refugee s. Refugee s because they do ad things in Africa and middle east. Because of them people must jump in the sea. And than France play the hero. Its disgusting and sick.
This refugee s must jump in the sea because France destroy their country. And they make a song about it. Is that not hypocrite.?

Dave
Dave
5 years ago
Reply to  No big 5.

@No big 5 Your comments made me sick srsly wth..

Bella
Bella
5 years ago
Reply to  No big 5.

“Europe did not like it”… They placed 13th out of more than 40 contestants and received points from 26 different countries. People did like it.

You should say “I did not like it”, but don’t feel like you have the right to speak in the name of an entire continent.

NickC
NickC
5 years ago

Bien fait MM! I will also donate.

Sabrina
Sabrina
5 years ago

I’m so glad that they did this. 🙂

Roelof Meesters
Roelof Meesters
5 years ago

They will also do the commentary for France in JESC this year, I love these two and they deserved a higher spot in the ranking.

Joe
Joe
5 years ago

Good on them. They weren’t all talk w the story, they really wanted to do something to help them on top of immortalizing them in song

Rose
Rose
5 years ago
Reply to  Joe

I appreciate people like that, too.

On an unrelated note, Armenia has been confirmed.

Dame Tu Conchita
Dame Tu Conchita
5 years ago
Reply to  Joe

Never did I see them as all talk in the first place. I see that they make serious business in their music career especially with their other songs that have stories like Mercy.