The Children of Africa Foundation gala dinner 2018

Distinguished guests,

Dear friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with deep emotion that I address you tonight at the Gala Dinner marking the 20th anniversary of the Children of Africa Foundation.

You have been supporting  our action for 20 years, you have been by our side for 20 years, to help us achieve our humanitarian work.

I think it is important to stress the progress we have made since we started … It took a lot of determination to achieve our goals, so that the Children of Africa Foundation reaches the level of excellence.

Tonight, as I look around this majestic room of the Palais des Congrès, beautifully decorated for the occasion, I am happy to see my family members, friends, relatives, known faces,

And these generous personalities who have joined us.  

Some of you have been with us since we started, when we launched our very first charity gala in Paris. Since then, you never cease to provide your support to the most underpriviledged children.

Ladies and Gentlemen, all together, we have not only achieved charity projects, we have also saved lives, given hopes to many families,

And made children smile again.  Many thanks to you all.

Thank you for your generosity.

Thank you for being available.

Thank you for being so kind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear friends,

I owe my success and achievements to, this remarkable man who believed in me and supported me during all these years. He shared with me, each step of the incredible adventure that we have experienced … I am talking about my husband, President Alassane Ouattara.

Tonight, I would like to express to him all my gratitude and my thanks for dreaming with me to ensure a better future for children in Africa. Thank you darling for your love and your support.

I also extend my special thanks to Professor Marc Gentilini, who encouraged me to create the Children of Africa Foundation. Dear Professor, you were there 20 years ago by our side, as President of the Red Cross, and you are still here today to support us.

I would like to sincerely thank the Ivorian government for its support in  the implementation of our projects at the health, education and social level ; Thanks also to all our generous national and international donors. We would not have been able to realise these projects without them.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear guests,

You came from all over Africa, Europe and the United States to celebrate with us this 20-year Gala Dinner,

To this end I would like to welcome Mrs Lalla Malika ISSOUFOU, First Lady of Niger, who traveled from Niamey to be with us. Thank you my dear sister for your presence.

I would also like to extend my greetings to Mrs Henriette Konan BEDIE, President of the Servir Foundation, who is with us tonight. Dear sister, because we have the same fight we understand each other very much. Thank you for your love and your support.

I offer a special greeting to my dear friend, Princess Ira de FUSTERNBERG, Patron of the Children of Africa Foundation. I thank you once more for your great energy in defending this noble cause. Dear Ira, thank you for your presence and your true friendship during all these years.

Thank you also to my dear friends for attending this gala. I will mention Martin and Olivier BOUYGUES, Vincent BOLLORE, Michel SIDIBE, Pierre FAKHOURY, Serge VARSANO, Alain DELOCHE, as well as all those I can not name, but who have played an important role for 20 years. Thank you for taking the time to come despite your busy schedule.

Thank you to all the personalities who came from afar to celebrate with us, and to our guests living in Côte d’Ivoire, the Presidents of Institutions, the members of the Gouvernment,

And all the Ambassadors for responding favourably to our invitation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would now like to welcome the international stars of cinema and music who made the trip to Côte d’Ivoire, to support  and celebrate with us the 20 years of the Children Of Africa Foundation.

First of all, I would like to mention those who joined us this year, namely:

• The great and beautiful actress Isabelle ADJANI
• The famous singer and actor Patrick BRUEL,
• The « Mama » of the African music Patience DABANY
• The great singer Youssou N’DOUR
• The famous Kora palyers Toumani DIABATE and his son Sidiki DIABATE
• The great actress Nathalie BAYE
• The Senegalese star Coumba GAWLO
• The great Moroccan singer Nabyla MAAN
• And our dear brother Isaac de BANKOLE coming from New-York

I would also like to welcome those who have been with us for many years:

• The famous Richard BERRY and Mc SOLAAR, who have been with us since the first moments,
• The great film director Alexandre ARCADY,
• The mighty Salif KEITA,
• American actors Djimon HOUNSOU and Gary Dourdan,
• The beautiful actress Noémie Noémie LENOIR,
• The famous singer Fally IPUPA,
• Actress and director Karine SILLA PEREZ
• The Miss France Committee Director, Sylvie TELLIER,
• The beautiful Miss Universe, Iris MITTENAERE,
• And the famous fashion designer ALPHADI

I do not forget our great Ivorian stars, who make us proud:

• Our diva Aicha KONE
• Our famous singer MEIWAY
• The mythic and famous band Magic SYSTEM, performing in each of our gala.

And our champions who makes our country’s flag shine in the whole world :

• Murielle AHOURE
• Marie-Josée TALOU
• Ruth GBAGBI
• and Cheick CISSE

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to our great choregrapher Georges MOMBOYE, who will perform tonight a magical ballet; to our comedian Joel who will make us laugh for a few moments.

Thank you also to the famous  Anne Sophie PIC, three-star chef, and to Christelle VOUGO-ANET for the enchanting menu.

Thanks to all my Ivorian brothers and sisters from the public and private sector …

For their support and contribution since the beginning.

Dear friends,

Dear donors,

This morning we proceeded to the inauguration of the  Mother-Child Hospital of Bingerville in charge of  main diseases affecting the mother and the child.

In 2013, this hospital was only a project, but today, thanks to you,

We will save the lives of thousands of women and children. . We were aware of this incredible challenge that we had to face, and we make it happen through solidarity.

At this point I would like to thank the Ministry of Health and la chaine de l’espoir who supported us in the designing and implementation of the hospital ;

Thanks to  all the people who have contributed to the constrution of the Mother-Child Hospital of Bingerville. This project we have accomplished together, hand in hand, is the greatest gift we could give to our children.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For this 7th Gala Dinner, our goal is to continue to invest in our usual actions, but also to put a special emphasis on our children’s education.

Thus, after building a shelter for children, a Highschool in Kong, the  Mother-Child Hospital in Bingerville, transit centres for children and providing mobile libraries, we now we wish to raise funds for the construction of a School Group in the commune of Abobo in Côte d’Ivoire.

This school group will be built on a  plot of one and a half hectares, in order to help our children from Abobo to have a school nearby.

It will have twelve primary classes and three kindergarten classes, as well as a school library and a canteen. This beautiful project will become a reality with the donations we will receive tonight.

Dear friends,

Allow me to conclude by thanking the entire members and volunteers of the Children Of Africa Foundation, who have been working with us from the beginning to ensure a brighter future for our children.

I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the organizing committee of the Gala, headed by Mrs Nadine SANGARE, Executive Director of the Foundation, for the extraordinary job they have done. My sincere thanks also to all the companies who have contributed to the success of this event:

– PFO Group,

– VOODOO Group

– DELIGHT’ and SHEM’S  agencies in Morocco,

– COC’6’NEL agency,

– and SOFITEL Hôtel Ivoire which as usual, have lived up to our expectations.

Thanks again to all our friends and our generous donors … for  20 years your contribution has helped us to give the best to our children.

I will end by saying this : Africa is beautiful, Africa is generous, Africa is mysterious … and it is with the contribution of each, that we will keep it magical.

 

Thank you.