Professor Pierre Gomez was speaking on Monday at the Alliance Francaise de Banjul as part of activities marking the International Day of La Francophonie. This year’s event was held on theme- ‘321 million Francophones, billions of cultural contents.’
Minister Gomez, who also doubles as the chairmen of the board of directors of Alliance Francaise de Banjul, indicated that celebrating day also allows people to magnify the presence of the French language in The Gambia, an English-speaking country where language of Molière is taught, spoken and loved.
He recalled that years ago, his former colleagues while teaching at Gambia College would remind him of the Alliance Francaise in those days in Banjul, where they used to call it “le foyer” where people used to come together.
“Whether you speak French or not, but there was something in common, the friendship, love and mutual respect.” he revealed.
He spoke about the efforts of the Gambian Francophone community, the Alliance Française de Banjul and their partners, who he added, are actively working to keep the French language alive and dynamic in The Gambia.
Minister Gomez paid glowing tribute to the daily actions of Gambian Francophones, the teachers who spearhead the French language and the students, who open their minds to the richness of the language.
He equally lauded all the institutional and ministerial actors, who coordinate the strategic action, the French clubs that stimulate the learning of the language in their establishments, the associations of teachers and Francophone and all the daily speakers who make this beautiful common language vibrate.
He commended Phillipe Lalliot, French Ambassador to The Gambia based in Dakar, Senegal, for signing the partnership agreement towards the implementation of the FSPI project ‘Academic and Digital Capacity Building’ carried out by the Universities of Caen and The Gambia.
The project, he added, would enable the reinforcement of the skills of teachers and trainers of trainers in French in an English-speaking country wishing to strengthen its cooperation with the surrounding French-speaking environment.
“The project will thus help strengthen the regional integration of The Gambia and develop its economy by opening up to the French-speaking world. The FSPI's aim is to support the development of the skills of the various local actors and the co-construction of the degree course and the doctoral school, with a view to empowerment.”
