25/09/2025
Pulaar Pride Shines at the Ballon d’Or!
When Ousmane Dembélé lifted the Ballon d’Or, he claimed football’s highest individual honor — the crowning of years of talent, discipline, and brilliance on the pitch. As Abderrahmane Mbodj remarked at the ceremony: “e mo jaggi heen” — he put in the work, and here we are.
Yet, beyond the golden trophy, another triumph stole hearts that night. When asked a question in French, Dembélé’s mother chose to answer first in Pulaar/Fulfulde. Calm. Certain. Proud. In that moment, she placed her language on the same global stage as football’s most prestigious award. Fulfulde stood not in the shadow of the Ballon d’Or, but alongside it — luminous in its own right.
That choice was deliberate and dignified. It carried the weight of pride and belonging. She reminded the world that Fulfulde is not just a heritage tongue, but a living language — one that speaks with authority in the present and carries itself with confidence into the future.
It echoed a similar gesture by Senegal’s former president Macky Sall, who, during an official visit to Nigeria, insisted on addressing the press in Fulfulde instead of French. Both moments are powerful reminders that African languages are not secondary. They are central — to identity, to culture, and to power.
These choices matter. They affirm that Fulfulde belongs everywhere: in our homes and parliaments, in the arts and the media, and on the world’s biggest stages.
At Jaabiire Initiative, we celebrate this moment not only as Dembélé’s night of footballing glory, but also as a cultural milestone. A reminder that Fulfulde — spoken by millions across Africa — is alive, resonant, and soaring. A language of pride, dignity, and future.
