Kpenahi, Kunnafonidila

Intro

In this video taken from Episode 3 of the Baarakètò mini-series, Kpénahi Traoré, a journalist from Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, shares her path to becoming a journalist based in Paris.

Kpénahi was one of the original journalists that launched RFI Mandenkan, the Manding-language service of France’s international broadcaster RFI.

Thank you for the clarification. Here’s a revised version that stays tightly grounded in what’s actually covered in the video:

Her story offers a glimpse into a lesser-seen path of West African migration to France—one shaped by formal studies and a career in journalism. Though she hadn’t planned to work in Manding, Kpénahi became part of the original team behind RFI Mandenkan, the Manding-language service of France’s international broadcaster. In this interview, she reflects on how she got into the field, the challenges of working across languages, and the kinds of stories she wants to help bring to light.

This video is a slightly edited version of our original sit-down interview, condensed for clarity.

Watch

Watch the video without the subtitles. If they are on, click on the little "CC" symbol and turn them off.

Watch and Read

Now turn on the subtitles in Bambara/Jula (click on the little "CC" button) and read along.

If you are lost, you can also switch it into English and then re-watch in Bambara/Jula.

And remember, you can also slow down the video to make it easier to follow along. I recommend 75%. Click on the little gear symbol.

List of Selected Grammar Points

Coming later

Grammar Points Explained

Coming later