Solkam Yalom Félicité, also known as Yaya Culturelle, is an inspirational figure within the Chadian diaspora. With a background in health, she has worked as a versatile airport agent and a senior corporate communications technician in Africa. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is widely recognized for her artistic and social engagement. A passionate advocate for Chadian music, she radiates confidence and vitality on her social media platforms, often dressed in vibrant, colorful outfits that highlight her natural fair complexion, a visual tribute to her deep-rooted connection to her country’s art and culture.

Originally from Sarh, the capital of Chad’s Moyen-Chari Province, Félicité grew up shouldering early responsibilities as the eldest daughter, experiences that shaped her resilient character. From the age of five, she was already helping her mother in the kitchen and playing football with her brothers. Although her childhood dream of becoming a nun was eventually discouraged by her parents, her determination to pursue a meaningful path never wavered.

Félicité draws deep inspiration from her desire to bring joy to others. “A little smile can make all the difference. That’s why I smile all the time and work very hard to bring smiles back to people who have lost their smiles,” she says. She  inherited this attitude from her mother, Charlotte Ouagadjio, a dedicated social worker whom Félicité regards as her mentor. “From a very young age, she passed on her love for her work, teaching me to be caring, social and empathetic.”

A touching anecdote speaks volumes about Félicité’s deep bond with her mother. At just four years old, she made a heartfelt promise that one day, she would take her mother to Europe to care for her. Sadly, it was a promise she never had the chance to fulfill.

When she received a call from France informing her that her mother, hospitalised in N’Djamena, had only six hours left to live, Félicité felt the ground fall away beneath her. “I was overwhelmed,” she recalls. “But instead of breaking down, I called my little brother, who is a musician. I asked him to compose a song for our mother, an ode of farewell and love,” she says, her voice trembling with emotion.

The song was immediately sent to the hospital and played softly in her mother’s ear. With each seizure, she briefly regained consciousness, offering a fragile smile that lit up her face. “Thirteen more days followed… thirteen days of grace during which she was able to speak, bless her children, and say goodbye.”

It was in that fleeting moment held between sorrow and hope, that Yalom’s Prod was born – an extraordinary association with both cultural and deeply social ambitions. Through this initiative, Solkam Yalom Félicité channels her grief into purpose, working to bring hope and joy to vulnerable communities namely the elderly, children in need, the sick and people with disabilities. The association organises artistic workshops in hospitals, integration centers and prisons, while also leading road safety awareness campaigns, with each activity being a reflection of Félicité’s unwavering commitment to compassion and connection.

In December 2023, Yalom’s Prod, with the support of colleagues, friends and artists, successfully collected donations for the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris, despite the modest turnout at its inaugural event. The hospital expressed its heartfelt gratitude and Brigitte Macron, France’s First Lady and godmother to the hospital’s young patients, sent a personal letter of appreciation in recognition of the gesture.

Exile, a choice of life and heart

Félicité left Chad at the age of 33 for health reasons, a deeply difficult decision. “It was very complicated. I kept going back and forth between France and Chad. In the end, my mother told me she would rather see me alive than dead. That’s how I ended up in France.”

Arriving without legal papers, she was quickly confronted with the harsh realities of precarious living and labour exploitation. 

“Working illegally under someone else’s name means having your wages stolen. I chose instead to offer my skills to charities for free. I’d rather do good than lose myself.”

She sings, dances and brings comfort to the sick in hospitals. The response has been overwhelming: “Several patients have told me, ‘Your songs are better than chemotherapy.’ That’s when I realised that art, love and human presence can also heal.”

Despite the geographical distance, her bond with Chad remains unbroken:
“Distance from Chad is never absence from Chad – my heart is there, even if my body is here.”

She transforms this ‘separation’ into a bridge:
“I turn this distance into a connection, not a division. France has given me tools and opportunities; Chad gives me energy, memory and identity. My path is to bring these two worlds together.”

Cultural and social force of migration

Through Yalom’s Prod, Félicité is now active on multiple fronts in France, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire. Her mission is to bring joy to the most vulnerable, promote Chadian culture and connect artists across borders.

“In just two years, we’ve supported 13 Chadian artists who performed in Paris. I once witnessed a powerful moment with a Chadian writer proudly speaking her native language at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It was a striking symbol of cultural identity and positive migration.”

Among these artists is writer and feminist activist Sobdibé Kemaye, known as MamanSob, who has published two powerful works? “Le sexe féminin, une fatalité” and “Le 8 mars, une fête de pagne ou de défilé?” she sings in Moundang, her mother tongue, as well as in French and local Arabic.

“Thanks to Félicité, I was able to present my book in Paris. She gave me the confidence to speak in Moundang. If only Chad could have four women like her, it would make an incredible difference” she says.

“Migrate, train, learn, then pass it on”

For Félicité, migration isn’t an escape – it is a path to building something greater:“Migration made me stronger. I discovered other cultures and, in doing so, learned to value my own. Today, the Paris City Hall invites me to teach empathy. I pass on our Chadian values of respect for elders, solidarity…”

Her message to young people is direct and urgent:“Prepare yourselves well. Don’t leave blindly. It’s better to invest the money you’d give to smugglers into a meaningful project than to risk dying at sea. Migrate, yes – but with dignity.”

Her ultimate dream is to create the Charlotte Ouagadjio Foundation, named after her mother, a space with a clinic, a school and a cultural center for children. A migratory journey transformed into a bridge between worlds. One woman. One vision. One quiet revolution.