The Tarn-et-Garonnais of 2021: Pierre-Jean Fasan, sharing and positivity as creed
- Divine
- 1 janv. 2022
- 4 min de lecture
Dernière mise à jour : 1 avr.
We would like to thank 'La Dépêche du Midi' for this nomination among the Tarn-et-Garonnais of the year 2021. Find the original article in French at the following link:
At 36, Pierre-Jean Fasan lives by his passions. A DJ by night, this Montalbanais spends his days launching solidarity initiatives for the youth, dividing his time between France and Rwanda. Always driven by the desire and necessity to share and transmit to others what he has been fortunate to experience.
In Rwanda, the hill carries a profound symbol, hence its nickname 'the land of a thousand hills.' Pierre-Jean Fasan grew up on the hills of Piquecos, 5,000 km away. Should we then see a connection, a sign that predestined the Tarn-et-Garonnais to fall in love with this East African country? 'Throughout my schooling, I sat next to the world map in class. I always pointed to the middle of Africa, the lakes... It already attracted me back then,' he recalls, amused.
For the past few years, this towering figure, now nearing 1.90 meters, has split his life between Montauban and Rwanda, his beloved country. From one continent to another, Pierre-Jean has been developing various creative and playful workshops for young people. His latest project: a correspondence launched in September between young students from Tarn-et-Garonne and those from the village of Shyorongi. It's a way for him to break stereotypes, facilitate an exchange of skills, learning, and ways of life among children. 'This awakening to others is very important,' insists the former music teacher, who chose to leave everything behind in 2016 to 'live fully.'
Because Pierre-Jean is a dreamer. All his close friends and those who know him agree on this point. But he's a dreamer "who makes things happen" and who desires to share.
His five significant dates:
1. April 1, 1985: Born in Montauban.
2. June 2002: During his French baccalaureate exam, he encounters "La Prose du Transsibérien..." by Blaise Cendrars. The text ignites his desire to travel. That summer, he sets off to tour Europe by train.
3. July 25, 2009: His grandfather Yvan Castagné, former mayor of Piquecos and poet, passes away on the day of the poetry festival organized by his grandson. He was the main guest.
4. April 17, 2016: While on a beach in Benin, he decides to leave the national education system.
5. October 26, 2018: His encounter with Ange in a bar in Kigali. The Montalbanais immediately knew, "It's with her that I will have children."
A passion for exchange instilled in him by two women from the Family Institute of Montauban: Brigitte Visentini, the former director, and Geneviève André-Arquier, a demanding and passionate teacher. "They made me want to transmit," he confesses. Initially as a music education teacher, for seven years in Paris. Then in the nonprofit sector and within the framework of his own projects. "During school holidays, I systematically dedicated one week to my students who couldn't go on vacation and the other to various associations in France and abroad," the thirty-something recounts. "All these experiences gradually gave me the desire to leave the national education system to contribute to solidarity through artistic projects." The turning point came during a trip to Benin: "I discovered how music was truly experienced there, that everything went through the body and that ultimately, I didn't feel it and teach it deeply enough."
"All that I was fortunate to know and experience when I was younger, I want to share it with others today."
After Benin, he headed to Rwanda. Calm and composed, his eyes light up as soon as he mentions this country: "I've had the chance to travel the world, to visit many places, but I truly fell in love with this one, its people, the mentalities, the culture..." Pierre-Jean will have two significant encounters there. One with Rwamrec, an association aiming to reduce negative male behaviors and gender inequalities to promote the well-being of all and a positive society. In collaboration with this organization, the Montalbanais then created its French counterpart: Lanima (from the term Anima, which refers to the unconscious feminine part in men). For now, he's producing various reports on positive masculinity strategies and the management of violent men worldwide.
Ambassador without Borders
The other encounter is Ange. His wife since 2019. This Rwandan, trained as a journalist, not only shares his life but actively participates in all of Pierre-Jean's projects. "I was immediately very admiring and interested in what he was doing in the nonprofit sector. I didn't hesitate to quit my job and follow him in his commitments," the young woman says, charmed by his passion and positivity.
In his adopted country, especially in the village of Shyorongi, Pierre-Jean is considered a Rwandan. "People really like him. Players from the Iron Lions rugby team, whom he coached, affectionately call him 'coach'," Ange smiles. There's no shortage of initiatives on the sports front either. Like in 2018 when he went with his friend Jean-David Fauché, the women's rugby coach, to establish sports and cultural links with Thousand Hills, the club in Kigali. Or when, at the end of each season, he collects equipment from clubs in Montauban or Castres to equip the Lions. "I would also like to bring a coach from here to USM, so he can see how things are done here," he projects.
With a father involved in entertainment and a mother in politics, Pierre-Jean didn't immerse himself in the nonprofit world from a young age. His desire to exchange ideas about sports, music, or poetry comes from elsewhere. He humbly admits: "correspondence, rugby, culture... What I was fortunate to experience, discover as a child, I want to share with others today. It's as simple as that." To become a true ambassador of sharing without borders.
His passions:
A movie - La Grande Bellezza: "A film that illustrates the madness, splendor, and grandeur of Italy. The aesthetic it exudes is magnificent."
An author - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: "I adore the man and the author. He had a fascinating life as a resistance fighter, aviator... For me, he's a hero."
A place - Lake Kivu in Rwanda: "The first time I swam in this lake, I don't know how to explain the emotion I felt. Like a baptism."
A hobby - Poetry: "It's something important. My grandfather was a poet, and I also write."
A sport - Rugby: "I played for USM until Junior level. It's a passion. I also coached the Iron Lions in Rwanda."
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