The idea of a French language library in a small rural Kenyan village in Githunguri, Kiambu County, is attracting global attention. The hitherto sleepy Mitahato Village has all of a sudden become the cultural and linguistic destination of many French language enthusiasts.
Many Francophone speakers have travelled from as far away as Paris, France, to visit this village library that only stocks French books. Many visitors bring donations of French books for the library, and many get the opportunity to interact with curious children of the now famours Mitahato French Village, who teach them kikuyu traditional songs in exchange for French songs.
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Bonjour and bonsoir are not unusual salutations in Mitahato, a small village in Kiambu’s Githunguri sub-county. The words are French for hello, good morning or good evening.
In August 2019, the Mitahato Village French Library was the venue of a ceremony attended by 15 French people led by the family of Mr Jean François Lelouch, a longtime friend Mr Chris Mburu, a Mitahato Village native and founder of Francophone Network of Kenya (FNK).
The delegation from Paris included children who interacted extensively with the children of Mitahato and taught each other French and Kikuyu songs. As a result of this exchange, the Mitahato Village French Choir (Chorale Francophone de Mitahato) was born.
Over the weekend, the French government has feted Chris Mburu the founder of Mitahato French Village in Githunguri with a French Chevalier medal, for his exceptional work of promoting the French language in Kenya.
Mitahato village has now become a tourist attraction site particularly by French language speakers who come to enjoy the local culture displayed in French, all courtesy of the efforts by Mburu.
In a colourful ceremony conducted at Mitahato French village, the French Ambassador to Kenya, Arnand Suquet, pinned a medal on Chris Mburu making him an official French Chevalier (Noble man). Mr Mburu showered with praises for promoting the French culture and language in a peculiar way at the predominantly Gikuyu and English speaking village.
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While thanking the French government for the honour, Mr Mburu observed the transformation experienced in the village which is now a tourist attraction site for Francophone countries. Mburu has called on schools to incorporate the French language in their learning as it would open more opportunities to learners.
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.
The French Ambassador says there are over 40,000 Kenyans who are beneficiaries of a programme of studying French locally and abroad organized by the French government.
“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,” Mr Mburu said.
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