The Iyasa Language and Culture (summer) Camp is a community-based initiative aimed at revitalising and perpetuating the critically endangered Iyasa linguistic and cultural heritage.
Through complete immersion in the lifestyle, language and customs of the Iyasa people, the camp offers young people a living space for rediscovering their identity, for creative expression and for intergenerational transmission.
For several weeks, participants (children and teenagers alike) have the opportunity to learn the Iyasa language in a fun and interactive way, listen to the tales and epics of the elders, learn about traditional dances, songs and other rituals, take part in workshops on local cooking, artisanal fishing and craft, while exploring local ecosystems and sacred sites. The aim of the camp is to strengthen links between generations, promote endogenous knowledge, encourage pride in identity and play an active part in cultural revitalisation.
Supported by the Association pour la Promotion, la Préservation, la Revitalisation et la Pérennisation de la Langue et la Culture Iyasa (The Iyasa Language and Culture Project), this project is much more than a simple holiday (summer) activity; it is a school of living memory and a strong response to the challenges posed by the disappearance of the Iyasa language and culture.
By offering a learning environment rooted in the realities of the community, it is part of a sustainable vision of development, social cohesion and the transmission of heritage, a guarantee of the perpetuity of the Iyasa cultural identity in a global context of resilience in the face of climatic challenges.