ICI and Cargill handed over the keys to two schools in the Lakota department of Côte d’Ivoire on May 17. At the ceremony, the schools, one of which was completely renovated and includes 9 classrooms, a teacher’s office and a block of 3 latrines, and the other which was a new construction of 6 classrooms, a teacher's office, 1 canteen and 1 block of three latrines, were officially presented to the communities of Satroko and Kouadiokro 2.
The construction of these schools was in response to the needs expressed by the members of the COOPAGREL cooperative, in particular the challenges experienced by the children in these two cocoa-producing communities.
During the opening ceremony, ICI Country Director Allatin Brou thanked Cargill for supporting the construction of the schools, which are not only the pride of the local population, but also of the entire Lakota department and other surrounding departments. As Lakota isn’t the only department that will benefit from the handover of school keys during the 2022-2023 school year.
Thanks to the responsiveness of the heads of the COOPAAHS, COOPAPAIX, SOCANC, ECASO and COOPAGREL cooperatives, who took the needs of their members into account and brought them to ICI's attention, a total of 8 schools will be officially handed over to the people of the Daloa, Soubré and Divo departments by the end of the school year. This represents a total of 33 classrooms, 8 teachers' offices, 8 blocks of 3 latrines each, 6 school canteens and 5 bridging classes.
Ms Sonia Lobry, Child and Worker Protection Coordinator and Cargill representative at the ceremony, presented the company's sustainability program, Cargill Cocoa Promise, and highlighted the benefits that the company’s Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS),implemented by ICI, brings to the well-being of children and communities. She urged farmers and the children to take good care of these brand-new facilities.
Of these 8 schools, 5 were built under the Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC) program and 3 (including the Satroko and Kouadiokro schools) under the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS). There's no doubt that the 2023-2024 school year will start well in Divo, Daloa and Soubré, with improved performance both in terms of academic results and learner attendance.
