New French language and Francophonie centre opens in Kampala

H.E Jules-Armand Aniambossou, Ambassador of France to Uganda, on Wednesday officiated the opening of Maison TV5 Monde Kampala, a new centre for promoting French language and Francophonie in Uganda, managed by the independent, multicultural francophone web-radio, Bonjour Kampala.

Open to the youth, children and young adults, la Maison TV5Monde Kampala offers a platform for French teaching and learning using TV5 materials, skills training and accessing the information on the Francophone world, including news, arts, music, poetry, literature, films available on the new TV5 Plus platform, gastronomy, and sports etc.

In association with the Embassy of France, Bonjour Kampala, Alliance Française de Kampala and the teachers of French in Uganda, the centre will organize regular entertainment and cultural activities like French clubs, music concerts, roundtable debates, sports tournaments, films screening, reading and writing clubs, among others, providing the Ugandan public with the opportunity to appreciate the cultures and values of the Francophonie.

Human rights and freedom of speech being among the core values of the Francophonie, the location of the centre is symbolic, at the Democracy House, Nsambya, which is home to several human rights defenders’ organisations covering Uganda and the region.

The Embassy of France has made education, culture, French language and Francophonie its number one priority and is working closely with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to improve the place and role of French in the country, promoting it as a professional language of communication, education and culture for the youth, students, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, artists and sports fraternity.

Ambassador Jules-Armand Aniambossou paid tribute to TV5 Monde and its Director for Africa, Ms. Denise Epote, for championing this project which aims to bring together young people, especially those who do not have access to the satellite television of the Francophonie.

“Let's bet that this new tool, complementary to what the Alliance Française de Kampala, the French School of the Great Lakes and the actions carried out by our Embassy, will be successful and expand in the months and years to come,” he remarked.

On the request of the Ambassador, a minute of silence was observed in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack in Nice, France.

The Director of Bonjour Kampala, Mr Thomas Mbussa Letakamba, thanked the Embassy and TV5 Monde for supporting this project which provides Francophones and Francophiles in Uganda with the opportunity to learn, create, interact and have fun in a safe environment.

Currently, Maison TV5 Monde is operating in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Togo, Benin, South Africa, Nigeria, DRC and Tanzania, with one being established in Cameroun.