I was waiting for the bus to Porte de la Chapelle, the venue for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games badminton matches, to watch the HS Prannoy singles match, when I met a young volunteer. She asked about the locations I wanted to go to and offered to go with me to Porte de la Chapelle.

“I’m Fatima,” she told me. She’s 21 years old and from Ivory Coast, the homeland of legendary African footballer Didier Drogba. When I asked her about Drogba, she spoke excitedly. She was surprised when I told her that Drogba is very popular in my home state and has a lot of fans there.

Does your country have two names? I asked her. “Yes, the official name of my country is Republic of Cote d’Ivoire,” she replied with a smile.

Fatima was born in Italy. Her father is a construction worker. The family moved to London a few years ago and she is currently studying at the University of London. She will graduate in 2006. She plans to go to Switzerland for a five-month internship program after the Olympics.

She has a black belt in karate and is also a good swimmer. Fatima is an avid fan of the legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps and her dream is to become a teacher.

“When Paris was chosen to host the 2024 Olympic Games, I really wanted to participate in the event. I applied online for the Paris 2024 volunteer program. I did some part-time jobs to finance my trip to Paris. In Paris, I will stay with my uncle who runs a restaurant on the outskirts of the city. The Games organizers provide free meals to members of the volunteer program. Free transportation is also provided to travel from one location to another. Volunteers have to cover all other costs,” she added.