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Marsel Chifteyan: nothing can stop him
02-02-2013 08:41:29 | |
Marseille Chifteyan was born in 1931 in Saint Barnabé district of
Marseille and was one of 5 children of a modest family. He was doomed
to have no ordinary fate at all. During his school years, he used to
be outraged by exclamations like `filthy Armenian' and would state
that it was hard to bear `an immigrant's son' status on his shoulders
in such a chauvinistic country like France which repudiated its
newcomers. Marseille faced the same discrimination when he joined the
army at the age of 18 and was insulted when his captain called `bad
Frenchman'. This made young Marseille fly into an outage and give the
captain a sharp blow. After spending several months in military prison
and cherishing his dream about Africa, Chifteyan returned to the city
of Marseille where he learned tailoring. "I hated that craft"
Marseille admits. Four months later he sailed to Dahomey... "I liked
watching films about Tarzan and it was exactly how I had imagined
Africa to be,' adds Marseille and it makes him laugh to this day.
However, in Abidjan city of Côte d'Ivoire, he encountered colonists'
cold-hearted attitude towards "strangers".
"I was rejected and I started suffering and wandering in quest of
abode. Then I met an Armenian by the last name of Grigoryan, who was
involved in the commerce of a shirt trademark. He gave me 50,000
francs and bought me a ticket to Dahomey. I will never forget this
humane act of my compatriot whom I never saw again!". In Cotonou
(Dahomey), the Headquarters of the French Military Servants' Club
prohibited Chifteyan from visiting the same localities as the
Europeans did. Repelled by the whites and without any protection,
Chifteyan went through suffering again, but was luckily housed by an
old African woman. "Several months later a Bretonian employed me as a
tile-worker for 25 francs meager salary per day. It was miserable!"
Chifteyan recalls. After two years of tiling, he set to management of
the Brosette Valor shop, which was specialized in construction
materials. In 1960 he married "a girl from Rheims" whose family had
immigrated to Cotonou. A year later, they had a child named Jean-Loque
who was born the same yearthat Dahomey declared its independence. By
fate, Chifteyan met another French Armenian by the last name of
Kasajyan, who presented "Astral" paintings for Africa. "I sold a
painting for him and in 1972 I built "S. A. Sobepec" painting plant in
Cotonou.' It was the first modern plant in West Africa with 15 000 sq
m footage and would later employ 150 Beninese and Europeans. The
output was exported to Togo, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad. In
1993 Marseille and his son constructed the "Casa Del Papa" luxurious
hotel complex comprised of 60 suites and targeting foreign guests.
Situated in the coastal zone that is 40 km away from Cotonou, the
complex consisted of small villas based on wooden support. In 2008
Marseille Chifteyan the "Armenian" began construction of the largest
West African hypermarket "Yerevan" with an area of 13 000 sq m and
designed for African and European customers. The construction of the
trade center cost roughly 60 billion francs. The opening ceremony of
the center took place on September 25, 2009 and was attended by
president of Benin Yayi Boni and other officials. It was also in the
spotlight of the Beninese mass media. "I called my hypermarket
"Yerevan" because the Beninese know little about Armenia. I always
thought of my parents and "Yerevan" is the tribute to Armenia which
fascinated me as I recently discovered it for myself. Although there
is no Armenian community in Benin, we often mention Armenia in our
talks with the Beninese. Next to the "Yerevan" trade center I built a
private residence with the Armenian tricolor flag on the top. That is
the Consulate of Armenia in Benin and I have the honor of being the
head of that consulate,' Mr. Chifteyan proudly states.
Marseille Chifteyan's wish is as follows: `I went through a lot when I
was young. I also want to help my family. This country gave me much
and now it's my turn to do the same'.
These words belong to a person who was eager to found a cardiovascular
care hospital in Cotonou already named `Benin-Armenia-France'. It will
be directed by experts invited from Armenia. In his eighties, Mr
Chifteyan is still a fighter who will keep fighting until the last day
of his life to give mankind what he bears in himself.
The article was printed in
`Nouvelles d'Arménie' Review.
-
News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan
02-02-2013 08:41:29 | |
Marseille Chifteyan was born in 1931 in Saint Barnabé district of
Marseille and was one of 5 children of a modest family. He was doomed
to have no ordinary fate at all. During his school years, he used to
be outraged by exclamations like `filthy Armenian' and would state
that it was hard to bear `an immigrant's son' status on his shoulders
in such a chauvinistic country like France which repudiated its
newcomers. Marseille faced the same discrimination when he joined the
army at the age of 18 and was insulted when his captain called `bad
Frenchman'. This made young Marseille fly into an outage and give the
captain a sharp blow. After spending several months in military prison
and cherishing his dream about Africa, Chifteyan returned to the city
of Marseille where he learned tailoring. "I hated that craft"
Marseille admits. Four months later he sailed to Dahomey... "I liked
watching films about Tarzan and it was exactly how I had imagined
Africa to be,' adds Marseille and it makes him laugh to this day.
However, in Abidjan city of Côte d'Ivoire, he encountered colonists'
cold-hearted attitude towards "strangers".
"I was rejected and I started suffering and wandering in quest of
abode. Then I met an Armenian by the last name of Grigoryan, who was
involved in the commerce of a shirt trademark. He gave me 50,000
francs and bought me a ticket to Dahomey. I will never forget this
humane act of my compatriot whom I never saw again!". In Cotonou
(Dahomey), the Headquarters of the French Military Servants' Club
prohibited Chifteyan from visiting the same localities as the
Europeans did. Repelled by the whites and without any protection,
Chifteyan went through suffering again, but was luckily housed by an
old African woman. "Several months later a Bretonian employed me as a
tile-worker for 25 francs meager salary per day. It was miserable!"
Chifteyan recalls. After two years of tiling, he set to management of
the Brosette Valor shop, which was specialized in construction
materials. In 1960 he married "a girl from Rheims" whose family had
immigrated to Cotonou. A year later, they had a child named Jean-Loque
who was born the same yearthat Dahomey declared its independence. By
fate, Chifteyan met another French Armenian by the last name of
Kasajyan, who presented "Astral" paintings for Africa. "I sold a
painting for him and in 1972 I built "S. A. Sobepec" painting plant in
Cotonou.' It was the first modern plant in West Africa with 15 000 sq
m footage and would later employ 150 Beninese and Europeans. The
output was exported to Togo, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad. In
1993 Marseille and his son constructed the "Casa Del Papa" luxurious
hotel complex comprised of 60 suites and targeting foreign guests.
Situated in the coastal zone that is 40 km away from Cotonou, the
complex consisted of small villas based on wooden support. In 2008
Marseille Chifteyan the "Armenian" began construction of the largest
West African hypermarket "Yerevan" with an area of 13 000 sq m and
designed for African and European customers. The construction of the
trade center cost roughly 60 billion francs. The opening ceremony of
the center took place on September 25, 2009 and was attended by
president of Benin Yayi Boni and other officials. It was also in the
spotlight of the Beninese mass media. "I called my hypermarket
"Yerevan" because the Beninese know little about Armenia. I always
thought of my parents and "Yerevan" is the tribute to Armenia which
fascinated me as I recently discovered it for myself. Although there
is no Armenian community in Benin, we often mention Armenia in our
talks with the Beninese. Next to the "Yerevan" trade center I built a
private residence with the Armenian tricolor flag on the top. That is
the Consulate of Armenia in Benin and I have the honor of being the
head of that consulate,' Mr. Chifteyan proudly states.
Marseille Chifteyan's wish is as follows: `I went through a lot when I
was young. I also want to help my family. This country gave me much
and now it's my turn to do the same'.
These words belong to a person who was eager to found a cardiovascular
care hospital in Cotonou already named `Benin-Armenia-France'. It will
be directed by experts invited from Armenia. In his eighties, Mr
Chifteyan is still a fighter who will keep fighting until the last day
of his life to give mankind what he bears in himself.
The article was printed in
`Nouvelles d'Arménie' Review.
-
News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan