Ivory Coast and education

For the last decade Ivory Coast has experienced a political and military crisis, which has had severe humanitarian consequences for children. In March 2007 a Peace Agreement was signed which will be followed by presidential elections.

The setbacks due to the conflict have and still pose serious challenges to children’s right to education. 

Save the Children and Ivory Coast

It is very important for children in conflict areas to go to school. In school they will learn how to survive. They can talk to other children about what is happening to them and their country. In school everything seems normal for a moment. And most importantly: without school children will not have the future they deserve.

In order to create a safe and pleasant school environment Save the Children provides all necessities to allow children to go to school (build schools, classrooms, furniture, school material, school gardens, safe play area, etc.). Save the Children also helps by increasing the knowledge of teachers and school boards, by setting up kids clubs and by addressing subject liks gender equality and hiv/aids.

By the end of next year, 200,000 children in 9 regions of Ivory Coast will be able to complete a cycle of quality primary education in a safe learning environment..

Initial and Ivory Coast

All schools suffer from lack of sanitary facilities. Because of conflicts the facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Children aren’t able to use them or only in a very bad and unhealthy condition. This causes many problems such as illnesses, girls not going to school because of their menstruation, bad smells nearby school and all sorts of other consequences.

Children have made it very clear to Save the Children how important it is for them to have enough facilities that function.

Initial and Save the Children are going to address this problem together, starting in Ivory Coast.

What will Initial provide?

Through Save the Children, Initial is implementing the following in Abengourou:

1. Construction of a latrine with six cabins
2. Construction of one water point
3. Construction of one point for  hand washing
4. Provision of soap
5. Set up Hygiene Committee in one school

The project will start in February 2009 and is foreseen to finish in four months time.

The community members, particularly School Management Committees, will be involved in the implementation of these construction activities and will be responsible for their maintenance and upkeep. They will contribute with their labour.

By the end of this project the school in Abengourou, which is already rehabilitated by Save the Children, will have one new functional latrine with six cabins for girls and boys, one new water point and one new point for hand washing. In addition the school will be provided with soap and a Hygiene Committee will be put in place to ensure that children learn about hygienic behaviour and develop new habits.

We will be providing regular updates through this website.

Ivory Coast