It won’t be long before the first of this fall’s scholarship holders will arrive in Villa Karo. Before that the annual preparations will begin. Rooms have to be tidied-up, the lawn of the garden has to be cut down, all sorts of small things have to be made. An energetic buzzing in the now empty rooms shall start again when Villa Karo’s driver, Alphonse, will steer VK’s grey mininus in front of the main entrance and the first comers will be welcomed by director Kwassi, program manager Sylvie, Richard the accountant, museum responsible Georgette, caretakers Boniface and Bonaventure, Yvette the cook, cleaning lady Agathe, gardeners Papa and Edoh and the new finnish trainee among others.
At the same time, the cultural program offered by Villa Karo for the people of Grand-Popo this year will commence. Live music or theatre once a month, weekly movie nights, the museum and the constantly growing library will give a sheerful taste to Grand-Popo’s life again this year. And who knows what else will come? Last year VK organised a drawing competition for local kids and a workshop was held for the winners of the competition for them to pursue their creative work on the stories and myths around the birth of the world. The outcoming of that workshop was displayed in the art museum of Ateneum in Helsinki last spring. Will friends of Villa Karo see more of young african artists in finnish museums this year? That is to see!
But let’s wait just another few weeks and stay tuned on Africa and Villa Karo. In the mean time, we can lend some of that never-ending African energy by watching Antti Seppänen’s fantastic film on Grand-Popo’s football school. Antti is a filmmaker by trade and he was one of last spring’s scholarship holders in VK. Thank you, Antti!
Cheers! A bientôt! Here you go!
Grand-Popo école de football!!!
Miikka