SPEECH BY THE FIRST LADY DURING EXCELLENCE DAY CELEBRATION AT THE CHILDREN OF AFRICA SCHOOL GROUP

Ladies and Gentlemen,

My dear children,

I’m happy to be here with you this morning to celebrate excellence at the Children of Africa School Group in Abobo.

First of all, I’d like to extend my warmest greetings to all the authorities, as well as to all the imminent personalities present here. I would like to thank each and every one of you for joining us this morning to reward our best students and teachers.

My greetings also go to the school staff, and to the parents who have come in such numbers for the occasion.

Finally, I would like to greet my dear children from the Children of Africa school group in Abobo, I am happy  to see again.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Education is one of the pillars of the Children of Africa Foundation. Indeed, since its creation in 1998, the foundation has been working to improve children’s learning conditions, by carrying out numerous actions in the education sector.

Every year, the foundation provides thousands of free school kits to underprivileged children, enabling them to attend school in the best possible conditions.

In 2000, we also built a high school in the town of Kong. Initially designed as a school for girls, the establishment has become a benchmark high school and today welcomes all the girls and boys in the region.

We have also equipped schools and numerous canteens across the country, enabling our children to study in good conditions.

We have also donated fully-equipped computer rooms to several schools, to enable children to get acquainted with IT tools.

In the same context, we have built libraries in schools throughout the country. And our mobile libraries criss-cross Côte d’Ivoire, giving thousands of children free access to reading material.

In 2018, we felt it was essential to offer our children in the commune of Abobo, one of the most densely populated communes in the District of Abidjan, a school infrastructure with all the facilities and comforts of a modern school of excellence. The aim was to offer the population a school that stands out both for its architecture and for the excellence of the education it provides. For my part, I’ve always believed that all children, whatever their social status, are entitled to the best possible education, in a pleasant and appropriate environment.  And this is what we have managed to offer our children in the commune of Abobo, thanks to the generosity of our donors and to the great joy of our children and their parents.

As the school’s headmistress explained earlier, the school receives 700 children who are fully supported by the Foundation and its partners. This includes supplies, school uniforms, canteen and emergency medical care.

At this point, I would like to thank :

– the Ministry of Education, which has made teaching and supervisory staff available to us,

– the Abobo town council, which provided the non-civil-servant staff,

– the SIPPI company, which provides school supplies for our children,

– and the group of Ambassador’s wives who regularly sponsor and offer gifts to the children.

Dear parents,

I would also like to offer you my sincere congratulations for the education and love of work that you pass on to your children. I encourage you to continue in this direction and, above all, to continue to surround them with lots of love.

My dear children,

 The performance you gave us was magnificent, congratulations. I want you to know that I am very proud of you, your parents and teachers are also proud of you. Keep up the good work and achieve the best possible results. Hope to see you soon.

I wish you all a very happy vacation.

Thank you very much.