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There are limitless opportunities for multi-lingual Kenyans

Monday, March 23rd, 2020 00:00 | By
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Photo/Courtesy

Hatem Landoulsi, Aline Kuster-Ménager, Ralf Heckner, Jean-Pierre Ossey, Mohammed Amar, Lisa Stadelbauer andNicolas Nihon 

One of the most pleasant aspects of our work as ambassadors and high commissioners is constantly marveling at just how many young Kenyans are keen to learn French.

Indeed, in Kenya, there is no need to be in a Francophone embassy or High Commission to hear people speaking French! Nearly 40,000 youth learn it from kindergarten to universities countrywide. 

But what exactly do we mean by “Francophonie”? Simply, Francophonie is the term that designates the ensemble of people, organisations and governments that share the use of French on a daily basis.

And in this lies the possibility of economic opportunities on the global scale, for the young Kenyans who are already busy perfecting their written and spoken French.

In its 50 years of existence, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF),—an organisation set up specifically to promote Francophonie—has developed a network of 88 countries, including where French is not an official language. 

This is what we are celebrating this month. It is unfortunate that the public health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic brought a premature end to the rich variety of programmes prepared for Francophonie month.

The disruption notwithstanding, there are practical reasons why any Kenyan would benefit from a good knowledge of French.

Students can immerse themselves in a broad and diversified Francophone literature, before finding a job or starting a business.

With more French-speaking entrepreneurs, Kenya’s blossoming tourism sector can even be more attractive to welcome some of the 235 million people who speak French daily worldwide.

In Nairobi or abroad, French can also help in securing a diplomatic job in international organisations, where it is used as one of the United Nations’ six working languages.

Beyond Kenya, speaking French might open doors for East Africans in their own continent, as it is spoken in Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, DR Congo, Madagascar, Mauritius, The Seychelles and Rwanda.

We should also note that the visionary efforts by a majority of African governments to create an African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) will open up free trade throughout the continent, with those who are multi-lingual, being best placed to serve the business organisations seeking to benefit from opportunities that ACFTA will bring. 

Like any language, French is not one-sided; learning it paves the way for cultural exchanges.

With a solid level of French, Kenyans can teach English or Swahili in Francophone countries, as it is the case for the 60-plus language assistants currently in France who make French youth discover Kenyan cultures and traditions.

Or they might increase their chances when applying for scholarship programs in French-speaking countries.

Already well established in Nairobi, the Alliance Francaise facility has been the launching pad for many young Kenyans aspiring to a career in the creative arts.

Engaging a dialogue with francophone countries, through OIF, is also a way to join a global conversation.

ounded in 1970 in Niger, the OIF is a platform for exchanges, responsible for promoting and disseminating the cultures of its members and intensifying cultural, scholar and technical cooperation among them. 

By 2070, there will be an estimated 500 to 800 million French-speaking people in the world, the majority of whom will be young people living in Africa.

This is why the theme chosen by Tunisia for the next Summit of the OIF in Tunis in December 2020, sticks to the preoccupations of Africa and its youth: “Connectivity in diversity: Digital, a vehicle for development and solidarity in the French-speaking space.” —This article is jointly authored by envoys of Tunisia, France, Switzerland, Benin, Morocco, Canada and Belgium in Kenya

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