By Felix Wanderi
In an Anglophone country like Kenya, there are few places where you expect people to have a smattering of French.
But a nondescript village in Githunguri, Kiambu County, would certainly not be one of them.
That is why a visitor to Mitahato village would be more than a little surprised that many residents can speak French.
Here, residents are eager to perfect their grasp of the language, not merely for bragging rights but more as a tool of personal and community empowerment.
Chris Mburu, the founder of Francophone Network of Kenya, says he started the initiative of popularising the learning of French in the village to help residents build worthwhile linkages that can improve their lives.
“I was born in Mitahato village and I realized that there are many young people in the village who have completed school and have certificates but no jobs. I learned French after being employed by the United Nations in Congo and it has helped me build up links. I decided to start a library where I stocked French books,” said Mburu.
The library, he said, is being utilised by more than 2,000 young people to learn French. Adults have also not been left behind in the quest to acquire another language.
Mburu said he transformed his house into a library where villagers started sending their children to learn French.
“I have seen people who have learnt the French language make it in life through networks. I decided to let my village get the opportunity to turn their lives around,” said Mburu.
He said formal learning of French in school can be more expensive, which is why he decided to establish a library where children can learn the language for free.
“We are giving our children international exposure. By learning French, they will be able to relate better with the rest of the world,” said Mburu.
The French ambassador to Kenya Aline Kuster praised the initiative, saying empowering the children to learn French can improve their career prospects.
“We as the French embassy are promoting this kind of initiatives not just in the big towns like Nairobi but for every child in Kenya,” Kuster said when she visited the library recently.
She said Kenyans had the advantage of speaking more than one language.
“You should make use of this skill as it will help you to get jobs, discover the world and make friends,” said Kuster.
A beneficiary of the initiative Michael Karanja said he was sponsored to learn French in Bujumbura, Burundi where he learnt the language in eight months. He came back to Kenya and is now teaching French in the village.
“French has helped me gain networks in French speaking countries and there are a lot of opportunities if we embrace the language,” said Karanja.
Francophone Network of Kenya dream is to make Mitahato the first village in Kenya where everybody understands and can speak French.
