Burkina-Russia cooperation/ The « African Initiative » officially in operation
In Burkina Faso, the «African Initiative» officially commenced its activities on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the Jean-Pierre Guingané Palace of Culture and Youth in Ouagadougou. The Russo-Burkinabè association marked the occasion with a film screening in the evening.
Established on November 7, 2023, and officially recognized on November 13, 2023, the «African Initiative», which claims to be an association of peoples, has an executive board of 8 members consisting of Burkinabès and Russians.
Soumaila Ayo Azenwo, the president of this association, officially launched the activities of the «African Initiative» through a Russian film characterized by its «melodramatic» aspect involving «education, sports, and street children».
Emphasizing that the film is aimed at students, the association’s president also supports his choice, stating that it «…began with this screening because it is part of the axis of our project: education, culture, and sports».
It is not coincidental that the screening addresses the issue of «street children». A sad reality that has impacted nations, motivating cooperative efforts in favor of educating young people.
For Tanilougou Abdoul Wahab Anaitiambou, Secretary-General (SG) of the association, considering their association’s young age, the decision was made to focus on youth.
«We emphasized youth since they are the future. (…) We wanted to start with them to share experiences with our Russian friends. The best way to change minds is to start with the youngest», he declared.
The film, in its entirety, recounts the story of a teacher hit by a couple’s car on a road in Moscow. Suffering from a fracture, the teacher is admitted to the hospital. Through visits to his bedside, the teacher eventually falls in love with the woman from the couple.
Called by duty to a school located several kilometers from Moscow, the departing teacher had to ask for the hand of his beloved and thus had to return for the wedding. However, before that, he must retrieve his confiscated passport and purchase a new train ticket.
The condition is to win a football tournament imposed upon him. However, the idea of losing the next match to form a team of twelve children known as «street children» does not yield the expected results. Furthermore, a series of unforeseen events will then occur…
