It is my pleasure today to officially open these rooms and baptise them "French Resources Centre". A bit grand, isnt it, for this office and classroom, some will say! others will be surprised of such a set up in Dodoma. Let me tell you more about it.

A few years ago, our Embassy received many requests from a group of persons living in Dodoma, interested in the French language and asking for books, teaching equipment and material. Our Education Attache then came to Dodoma and met Mr. Kakongwe, a French teacher in Bihawana Secondary School and also one of the directors of the Dodoma Association Training Institute. The motivation of that small community seemed genuine and when Mr Dejente left the Dodoma file was on Mr Dornons desk.

The interest of the Parliament in the learning of our language, through Mr Demetrius Mgalami, Senior Clerk Assistant, pushed us into considering with keener interest the requests.Interest, motivation, audience, we had most of the ingredients except a reliable partner.

When presented with our project of a French Resources Centre, Bishop Mhogolo and the Permanent Secretary of the Diocese of Central Tanganyika were immediately interested. A few contacts, a few meetings with some teachers and headmasters, were enough to have us convinced of the genuine interest and support for this project. One year, almost to the day, later, our partnership bears his first fruit: the opening of the French Resources Centre.

What should be the next step ? that this Centre be used and used again ; that it becomes one of Dodomas facilities. That is where we step down, not in our involvement, but in the fact that you, teachers, that you, students, that you, people who show an interest in language and culture, take over. This Centre will be what you want it to be : a place to learn, of course, but also a place to discover, to talk and exchange views, a place to gather.

The equipment we start with should cater for allwith quality, in French, of course, but also on other subjects such as history, geography, and sciences. Teachers should be easily accommodated with their groups of students, they will find everything that is required to prepare their French lessons, but also plenty other information and documents. Students can also come and browse, eyes open, ready to discover. And all of you, whatever your occupation.

This is the beginning and our support shall be proportional to the interest shown by the inhabitants of Dodoma in that initiative.

Such interest, of which we have seen the clearest proof in the availability of the premises offered by DCT, also appears in the number of private schools and institutions blooming in Dodoma. Education thus plays a very big role in the life of the people from the capital city. That is why the vocation for such a Centre is to offer the opportunity of getting such education with the best tools, but also to open this Centre to other training sessions for languages and vocational training. French has indeed, for too long, been considered as a subject when it should be considered as a tool and a means. That is why learning the language represents a way of gaining access to a wider variety of jobs, social promotion and geographical expansion of these choices.

Tanzania is surrounded by French speaking countrieseither in Africa or in the Indian Ocean and French is now one of the official languages of the SADC countries. We must face one fact : Tanzania lacks French speaking Tanzanians, in the field of commerce, industry and tourism, as well as for international relations, and I know that the Members of Parliament and the stakeholders of the economy of the Central Region will agree with me.

The patrons who come to this Centre will also have access to information about other cultures, other people, and should be able to share their views and experiences, in French of course, but also in English and in Kiswahili. They will participate somehow to the objectives of the Francophonie, this organisation of the fifty-six countries "which share French language" but also the same values, whether they are cultural, political, social or human. It is extremely active in the respect of human rights, on peace and democracy, but also on cultural diversity and dialogue between cultures.

I will quote Sir Winston Churchill, who hated France so lovingly, who said, talking about the end of the Second World War : "Give us the tools, we will do the job". Well, this applies to us and to you: Here are the tools, start doing the job !

This set of offices is called French Resources Centre because most of the documents are in French. But I sincerely hope that it will soon become Dodoma Resources Centre, YOUR Centre. It is just the beginning.

france-tanzanie.org