The Francophonie festival is an annual event envisaged to celebrate the French language, diversity and Francophonie cultures.
Although The Gambia is an English-speaking country, it maintains strong ties with the Francophone world. Learning French continues to be a major asset for Gambian youth, opening doors to numerous academic, professional, and cultural opportunities.
This year’s celebrations brought together almost 500 students from schools in The Gambia and it began with a march past from the Traffic Lights to the Alliance Francaise along Kairaba Avenue.
The march past was followed by a series of activities performed by students from SBEC International, Ecole Franchise de Banjul, Swallow, Lychee Senegalais de Banjul, Etudiants AFB Militaries, Marina School, Diana Mariama and Nusrat. Throughout the day, the students showcased talents in poetry competitions.
Alliance Francaise director, Madame Ray- Essien, described Francophonie as an annual event that attracts people from different backgrounds in the world around economic, social and linguistic promotion and exchanges.
Director Essien said mastering the French language grants access to a vast world of knowledge, prestigious international institutions, and fosters engagement in intercultural and diplomatic dialogue. “French is a language of business, tourism, and cooperation, making its mastery an undeniable advantage in an increasingly connected world. We celebrate Francophonie with enthusiasm, highlighting our unity through the richness of the French language,” she added.
On this special day, she acknowledged, “We recognise the crucial role of teachers and students in promoting and preserving the French language. You are the guardians of our linguistic heritage, the transmitters of knowledge, and the key players in the Francophonie.”
She hailed the participation of French teachers and students in the celebration saying it symbolises Gambian youth’s commitment to the Francophonie and their determination to promote it.
The President of Alliance Francaise de Banjul Fatou Jagne-Senghore, in her opening statement marking the closing of the celebration of the Francophonie week said: that the management and board of Alliance Francaise de Banjul are excited in organising this annual event to celebrate and promote the French language and cultural diversity. “I am very pleased and proud of the performance of students. All of them are impressive, speaking French very well.
She added that there is a growing interest in learning and appreciating the French language. “We want to encourage all parents to support their children in learning multiple languages. Francophonie is also about promoting local language to strengthen multilingualism,” she added
Madam Jagne Senghore, former West Africa director of Article 19, who is the chair of the board of directors of Alliance stated that since the change, the Gambia joined the organisation as an observer member in 2018.
According to her, this is a testimony of the growing interest of the country to creating more and diverse opportunities for citizens. It also opens doors for deepened engagement and collaboration in terms of bilateral, cultural exchanges, education, business and women empowerment.
Yusupha Manneh, president of French teachers association said; “Having such a celebration is very important. Gambia is surrounded by Francophone countries, and getting students to such places to learn and get used to this kind of environment will only help strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the French language and culture.
The winners in various categories of competitions also received awards including cash prizes.
