There was laughter, music, gratitude and emotion at Alliance Française Bulawayo on Thursday, 27 August, as friends, artists, educators, cultural practitioners, institutional partners and members of the media gathered to bid farewell to outgoing director Guillaume Ripaud.

Among the distinguished guests was the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Hon. Judith Ncube, whose presence underlined the importance of the Alliance Française to the city’s cultural and educational landscape.

My Kasi Magazine was also among the invited guests at the farewell, joining other guests in witnessing a celebration of Ripaud’s four-year contribution to Bulawayo.

Ripaud arrived in Bulawayo on August 2022, beginning a four-year chapter that would see him become a familiar presence across the city’s cultural and education landscape. His departure was marked not simply as the end of an assignment, but as the closing of a chapter that connected classrooms, artists, audiences and institutions across Zimbabwe and France.

In his farewell remarks, Ripaud was quick to shift the spotlight away from himself.

He credited the,French government and Embassy, Alliance Française team, board members, artists, students, schools, teachers, audiences and institutional partners for building the institution into what it has become.

For him, the Alliance was never merely a French language centre.
It was a meeting point.

During his tenure, the institution hosted and organised more than 350 cultural events, bringing thousands of people through its doors and providing artists with a platform to create, perform and connect with audiences.

Ripaud described Alliance Française Bulawayo as a bridge between France, African Francophone countries and Zimbabwe , a space where cultures could meet and relationships could grow and Bulawayo, he reflected, has no shortage of talent.

Musicians, singers, poets, spoken-word artists, visual and digital artists, storytellers, dancers, comedians, theatre practitioners and emerging creatives all became part of the Alliance’s story.

For many, the venue became more than a performance space. It became a place where ideas met, friendships developed and creative work found an audience.

Ripaud also reflected on Bulawayo’s reputation as a cultural powerhouse, noting the remarkable depth of talent found across the city’s creative industries.

His impact was equally visible in education.

Working with schools and French teachers, the Alliance recorded more than 500 DELF/DALF examinations in a single year a milestone Ripaud said even attracted surprise from France.

However again, he placed the achievement in the hands of those who made it possible teachers, school heads, education professionals and students who embraced French language learning and the international opportunities it offers.

That influence was echoed by L. Nyathi, Head of Department at Girls College, who paid tribute to Ripaud for taking the Alliance beyond its premises and engaging directly with schools.

She recalled his visits to schools including Tshebetshebe in Pumula South and Mkhokheli.

More importantly, she said, he encouraged students to believe they could progress further in French — moving from A1 to A2, B1 and beyond.

“You’ve really empowered not just the teachers but the students as well,” Nyathi said.

Kadelwa an animation artist also reflected on how his life and career had developed through opportunities created at the Alliance, while Kamanyambi described her experience at the institution as “a story in itself”.

The farewell also carried a strong sense of continuity.

Ripaud introduced Madame Joana Jacquet, the incoming director, who attended with her family. In his trademark light-hearted manner, he joked that although she was about to take over, he was “still the boss for now”.

Madame Jacquet, who had arrived in Zimbabwe only about 10 days earlier, embraced the occasion with warmth.

She encouraged artists and education professionals to remain in contact with her and share their work and careers with her. She also pledged to continue strengthening the Alliance’s role in culture, education and dialogue.

For Bulawayo, her message was significant:,the relationship between the city and France would continue.

She described the Alliance as a special place for Bulawayo — a place for culture, dialogue, education and schools — and expressed her intention to develop projects connecting France, Zimbabwe and Bulawayo.

The evening was ultimately less about saying goodbye and more about recognising what had been built.

For four years, worked at the intersection of culture, education and international exchange. His legacy is therefore not confined to the office he leaves behind. It lives in the artists who performed at the Alliance, the students who gained confidence through French, the teachers who expanded their programmes and the audiences who found a home for culture and conversation.

As he prepares to leave Zimbabwe, the message from Bulawayo was unmistakable; the work may continue under new leadership, but the relationships and memories created during his tenure will remain.

And perhaps that is the most fitting farewell for a director who spent four years building bridges not monuments.

Merci, Guillaume.