FONDATION AMADOU HAMPÂTÉ BÂ

"In Africa, every time an old man dies, a library burns down. This sentence reflects two of the great preoccupations of the illustrious writer, but also ethnologist, philosopher and historian that Amadou Hampâté Bâ was: the transmission to future generations, and the recognition of oral traditions as sources for writing history. A singer of Africanness, but also of a certain universalism ("It is the whole universe that is our homeland"), this outstanding storyteller knew how to bring Africa to life in the manner of a griot who would have decided to be no longer flattering, but only sincere. Ambassador of Mali to Côte d'Ivoire from 1962 to 1966, member of UNESCO's Executive Committee between 1962 and 1970, winner of the Grand Prix littéraire d'Afrique noire in 1974, his exceptional career led him to end his days in Abidjan (he is buried in the Williamsville cemetery), where he is still referred to as the "wise man of Marcory".

Time he devoted to classifying the archives accumulated during his life on the oral traditions of West Africa, and to writing the memoirs of what has been called "one of the eldest sons of the century". When he died in 1991, his heirs took up the torch, and thanks to their work and the help of the Ivorian authorities, the foundation was able to be established in January 2002. The structure is directed by Rokiatou Bâ, Amadou Hampâté Bâ's youngest daughter. It includes in particular : amadou Hampâté Bâ's personal library, consisting of more than 3,000 works (including some rare items), a veritable living memory ranging from generalities to the most specialized themes, which attests to the encyclopaedic spirit and insatiable curiosity of this "old library"; an archive containing audiovisual recordings and manuscripts, including the correspondence that Hampâté Bâ maintained with personalities from all over the world, including of course President Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

In addition to perpetuating the memory of this "open mind in all fields of knowledge" which advocated mutual understanding ("The beauty of a carpet lies in the variety of its colours. If there were only white, it would be a white sheet. If it were only black, it would be a mourning cloth"), the safeguarding of these numerous manuscripts partially edited or consigned on very fragile supports is the main reason for the foundation's existence. It is with this in mind that the institution has initiated, with the support of various partners (Orange Foundation, National Library of Mali), the classification and digitization of manuscripts, the inventory and classification of more than 400 lectures and 300 correspondence and other manuscripts, the digitization of the library and the outreach of the foundation.

Inside the villa, two rooms are dedicated to the exhibition of these personal objects and to books and photos retracing the career and work of Hampâté Bâ. In the peaceful and green garden, a straw hut hosts storytelling sessions organized for visitors and groups of children, and at the back of the garden, the library and the archive room where the writer's manuscripts are kept. A cultural actor of choice in Abidjan, the Amadou Hampâté Bâ Foundation regularly organizes evenings of screenings, storytelling, talks and concerts.