Let’s Stop Helping Africa.

10.11.2025

Dear Friends of the Opéra Village,

What if everything we think we know about “helping” Africa is wrong?

For 15 years, Village Opéra has been telling a different story — a story of self-determination and equal partnership. It is more than a project: it is a living community that connects art and everyday life, empowering people to shape their own futures. While we are still debating what real change might look like, it is already being lived in the Opéra Village:

300 children who are not lectured, but strengthened in their identity through art, theatre, and music.
Women who raise their voices through their own podcasts and challenge society.
A children’s film festival that connects generations and fosters cultural exchange.
This is not about “helping.” This is about taking responsibility.
The Burkinabè government takes responsibility.

The canteen provides a warm meal every day.

Teachers achieve a dropout rate of less than 1%.
And you? Let’s stop trying to help the African continent. Let’s start learning — from the power of community, from the transformative energy of art, from the beauty of true solidarity.
Your donation is not an act of charity. It is a conscious choice for a new narrative — for a world in which we do not give, but learn from one another. For a partnership that grows from equality.
Be part of this necessary provocation. Support the Opéra Village with your donation.
With sincere thanks,

Ricarda Raths von Leuchtenburg

(Member of the Foundation Board)