Ugandans have been urged to embrace the French language as a gateway to wider trade, education, diplomacy and employment opportunities both in the region and globally.
Speaking ahead of the International Day of La Francophonie, scheduled for March 20, the French Ambassador to Uganda, Virginie Leroy, said proficiency in French increasingly gives Ugandans a competitive advantage in accessing international careers and education.
Leroy noted that French speakers often have greater opportunities to work with French companies, secure positions in international organisations and benefit from academic and professional mobility programmes.
She added that French is widely spoken in East Africa, particularly in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and forms part of a global community of about 321 million speakers across 93 countries.
The ambassador was outlining activities planned for Francophonie Month, which will feature a series of cultural, educational, culinary and musical events across Kampala and other parts of the country.
Among the highlights is the Njogera Français festival scheduled for March 7 at the International French School in Kampala, aimed at promoting French language learning among students.
Other events include a Job and Study Fair on March 14 to connect participants with internship and career opportunities, a French Night at Divine Restaurant on March 26, as well as the Francophonie Festival on March 27 and a Francophonie Concert on March 28.
A global Francophonie film festival will also run concurrently throughout the month. Julie Freremans, First Secretary for Political and Consular Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, thanked the French Embassy for coordinating the month-long programme.
She revealed that the Belgian Embassy will organise two major events, starting with a Belgian concert scheduled for Friday, March 27, at the National Theatre in Kampala. The concert will feature a Belgian opera singer, born in Ukraine and trained internationally, performing alongside Paul Luggya, the head organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
“We have been able to put together this beautiful night of musical collaboration. On Tuesday, 31 March, we will hold a concert at the Guilherme, which will be played at the Château. As you may know, it is part of the Guilherme Village, which is an emblem in Kampala. It is a big hotel and event space. Belgium is known for its beer, its chocolate, its Brussels sprouts, and its French waffles. We will show you that night, but there is much more to discover about our city,” Freremans added.
Brig Gen Jules Ndihokubwayo, Uganda’s ambassador to Burundi, described La Francophonie as more than a linguistic space. He said it represents a vibrant community enriched by shared culture, traditions and artistic expressions where identities are affirmed, respected and strengthened.
Meanwhile, Choi Heejo, deputy chief of mission and head of cooperation at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, said the Korean Embassy will also participate in the celebrations.
Korea, which became an observer state to the International Organisation of La Francophonie in 2008, will mark the milestone by hosting a Korean Food Night on March 17 at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
The event will feature a culinary collaboration between the chef at the Korean Ambassador’s Residence and Sheraton’s culinary team. It will also bring together representatives of Francophone member states and Ugandan alumni of the Korean Government Scholarship Programme in a bid to strengthen cultural diplomacy and deepen ties between Korea, Uganda and the wider Francophone community.
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