Africa-Press – Lesotho. 26 members of Lesotho Defense Force received their Diploma qualifications upon completing
French classes on Tuesday. These soldiers were awarded by Alliance Francaise as the facilitator for this programme. Alliance Francaise President Pablo Recalde explained that the embassy of France in South
Africa (SA), Lesotho and Malawi in collaboration with Alliance Francaise have worked tirelessly to ensure that members of the army in respective countries get
the opportunity to learn French as an up skilling strategy to ease their work. “I would like to thank LDF for trusting us with this extraordinary obligation.
I would also like to thank Alliance Francaise’s staff, both our teachers and the administration staff for they have worked hard in these unsettling times to make sure that our graduates receive
the best that we could offer,” he said. He also congratulated the LDF participants for their commitment since 2019 and further said 2020 and 2021 have been very challenging due to the advent of
Covid-19 yet they remained diligent. He said they are very grateful for their partnership and they hope to see it grow in the future. Recalde emphasized that to learn a new language is to open one’s mind, as it links
people to new culture. “French is a beautiful language and I would like to remind you that French speaking missionaries published the first Sesotho text,
which further guided with Sesotho grammar,” he said. Alliance Francaise Director and Honorary Consul Jennifa Audebert, speaking at the graduation ceremony, said their goal is to strengthen bilateral relations between France
and Lesotho, especially their partnership in linguistics. She said they intent to connect all members of the army in the partnering countries for international cooperation.
“After this French lessons, they will be able to
learn some vocabulary which will help them when they go to other foreign countries to keep peace,” she said. Audebert further said acquiring a Diploma
in French language will open doors for international opportunities, saying they will also learn Military French. A graduate from this programme, Lance Corporal Mashopholo Mabitle said they are
confident that from now on they will be able to communicate in French and also watch news read in French. He said unlike before, these days soldiers travel to
other countries to assist in peace support operations and this part of the job will be easy. He thanked Alliance Francaise for this golden opportunity.
For More News And Analysis About Lesotho Follow Africa-Press
