The 4,730 km (2,939 miles) that separate the towns of Billère in France and M’Baïki in the Central African Republic (CAR) are representative of the two different worlds that their children grow up in. Thanks to a project entitled “La Paix ici et là-bas” (Peace at home and abroad), children from Billère, just a few miles away from TSF’s headquarters in France, and from the town of M’Baïki are opening up to and developing their perceptions of different ways of living whilst establishing notions of citizenship by means of cultural exchanges.
Via these cultural exchanges and thanks to activities based on equality and justice, youngsters from M’Baïki and Billère are looking to gain a better understanding of how the world works, and how children from different countries grow up.
Teachers from the two towns also benefit from the programme and are able to strengthen their approach to citizenship in their lessons.
In order for these exchanges to be made possible, Télécoms Sans Frontières lent its support by installing a high-speed satellite internet connection and providing the equipment necessary for its proper functioning in M'Baïki. As the leading international NGO specialising in telecommunications and new technologies, it is natural that TSF wanted to join this digital isolation project in a remote region of the world, in order to create links between children from different horizons.
Young M'Baïki and Billère are now connected and promise exchanges rich in learning and cross-cultural sharing.
“Since 2012, the city of Billère is a partner of the city of M'Baïki in the Central African Republic. The civil war that has hit the Central African Republic prevents physical contact between the children of our respective towns. Thanks to the connection that TSF has put in place on 1st August 2016, the children can talk easily via email, sharing photos and videos. Maybe one day they will even be able to meet one another! Thank you TSF for recognizing and supporting our projects of intercultural rapprochement.”
Jacques Cabanes, Billère Town Councilor, Head of Decentralised Cooperation
“A big thanks to TSF for installing the satellite antenna on the roof of the town hall in M’Baïki. The population and the children are crying out with joy. This gesture is a vital boost for our project and will favour intercultural understanding between the children of our two towns.”
Pascal Kiki, Mayor of M’Baïki and project coordinator.
Bringing together children from distant communities
TSF supports a bridging the digital divide in an isolated region of the world, the city of M'Baïki in the Central African Republic, to promote ICT and to create links between children from different backgrounds.
