Bonjour and bonsoir are not unusual salutations in Mitahato, a small village in Kiambu's Githunguri subcounty.
The words are French for hello, good morning or good evening, depending on the time of the day.
These and many other French words are being popularised by Chris Mburu, the founder of Francophone Network of Kenya.
Mburu has converted his house into a library, where he teaches children and adults the French language "for empowerment and network building".
Already, more than 2,000 children in Mitahato are enrolled at no cost to their parents and can speak some French.
“I was born in Mitahato village. I learnt French after I was employed by the United Nations in the Congo and it has helped me build links. I decided to start a library and stock it with French books. It has been well received by the villagers,” Mburu said.
His concern is that there are many young people in the village who have completed school with certificates but are jobless.
“I have seen people who learnt French and are now successful in life through networking. I decided to let my village get the opportunity to turn their life around,” Mburu said.
He regrets that learning the French language in college is costly.
“We are giving our children international exposure. We should be empowering our children when they are young. By learning French, they will be able to relate with the rest of the world,” Mburu said.
French Ambassador Aline Kuster-Menager visited the library recently.
The envoy said Mburu's initiative will empower children and go a long way in enabling them to master the international language.
“As French embassy, my team and I are promoting this kind of initiative. It is good that every child in Kenya learns some French to enhance career advancement. It will help in finding jobs through networking,” she said.
Kuster noted that Kenya has a diversity of languages. "You should make use of this skill as it will help you to get jobs, discover the world, make friends and speak French, which is a big language.”
Villager Michael Karanja got a sponsorship to learn French in Bujumbura, Burundi. He mastered the language in eight months. He is now a French teacher in the village.
“French has helped me gain networks in French-speaking countries. There are a lot of opportunities if we embrace the language,” Karanja said.
He has built a network that can enable him get jobs in France. He enthusiastically encouraged his peers to learn the language and build global networks for self-empowerment.
Mburu says Francophone Network of Kenya aims at ensuring that Mitahato villagers are conversant in all aspects of the French language.
- mwaniki fm
