00:00At the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, it's not medals but pins that are catching everyone's eye.
00:07Athletes, volunteers and collectors are swapping them across the train, the press centre, the Olympic village and the stadium.
00:13For Senegalese creator Diawke Chap and Bigit, the pins are keepsakes, a reminder of the connection of the games and
00:20a souvenir they hope to show their grandchildren.
00:24You see, sometimes there are very specific pins, especially these three.
00:28These pins up here are incredible to me. They were given to us yesterday. This one is Dakar 2026.
00:36This one is Dakar 2026. We had the opportunity to be among the young people, the people involved in Dakar
00:432026.
00:44This is all we have is a souvenir, a souvenir to show it's worth its weight in gold.
00:50This is what will show our grandchildren.
00:55But this golden souvenir comes at a price. Sometimes all it takes is a glance or a simple smile to
01:01get one.
01:02It's a thriving trading market where participants compete to see who can collect the most pins, attaching them to their
01:09lanyards, bags or caps.
01:10But beyond the bragging rights, pins are above all a way to connect with others.
01:15Especially if you have pins from different countries. First of all, it shows that you have good interacting skills with
01:24other people.
01:24For you to get pins from other countries, you need to communicate with other people.
01:29So first of all, if you have pins from other countries, this means you know how to interact with other
01:32people.
01:33And it also shows that the pride of belonging to a certain country if you have that feeling.
01:40Sponsors have clearly understood the spirit.
01:43At this stand, a brand preparing to enter the Senegalese market is offering a chance to win the top prize
01:49simply by following it on social media.
01:53It's simply to increase the number of followers. It's basically marketing.
01:58Here we are asking people to follow the brand and subscribe.
02:01It's to grow their following. Then they have to post a story and tag the brand.
02:05The aim is to make it go viral among Senegalese people.
02:07Much more than just an accessory, pins tell the story of the Olympic Games and bring back memories of shared
02:14moments.
02:15Above all, they symbolize the Olympic spirit of friendship and solidarity.
02:19Je suis Wohani Johnson-Sambou, correspondant au Sénégal pour Africa News.
