Africa-Development : An International and Polytechnical Center.

The international character of the center.

• About the recruitment

In the first step, the recruitment will only be concerned with the youngs (boys and girls) from Alépé subprefecture. But in the following years, the youngs from Ivory Coast and even those from west african areas aged from 16 to 22 years olds can enter / integrate the institutute. The ambition to create such an institute is dued to the great rate of young refegees in Côte d’Ivoire and also the socio-political tensions which last quite two years in the country. Such a center must be able to give a qualified and professional education to the wretched Ivorians or non Ivorians youngs and also help them, thanks to their consulate, to go back and insert themselves in their native countries.

• Concerning the teachers

A part from the local attendant teachers, the center will voluntarily receive some foreign teachers (Europeans or non-Europeans) who would like to work as benevolent.

0.2. Plan activities sector

The project will take place in rural area. Its very first aim / target is the education and the settlement of breeder and agricultural youngs in Alepe area.

0.3. The objectives

The main objectives of this project are :

-         to increase the agro-pastoral income of the farmers

-         fight against young unemployment and extreme poverty by giving them a qualified and professional education or by helping them to settle

-         improve the productive capacity of the agro-pastoral exploitations.
4. Beneficiaries

The main beneficiaries are :

• the descrolarized youngs since the targets of this project are to reduce their unemployment and also fight against the higher school retirement in Côte d’Ivoire or in all the west-african area. In fact, school renunciation rate from 93 to 96 at the first cycle is estimated at 29,48% whereas the second cycle is quite 55,48%. Therefore the concerned population is actually important.

Let put into relieve that in Alepe area / department, the unemployment concerns 1 active out of 3; then a strong ratio of these unemployed is re-learned and plenty are youngs who want to do it in case they receive an adequate  education in such a domaine.

• women

Women from Alepe area represent more than half the population (52%) and produce  themselves more than 40% of the agricultural production which is overwhelmed by food crops. Unfortunately their view points are not taken into account. So this institute will contribute to satisfy and fulfil their needs and desires.

• the illiterate grown up who will be taught how to read and write.

0.5. The cost

According to CAPANA studies, the first step of the project will cost F CFA 237.000.000. But it is quite impossible for a person to assume the education (theorical and practical of thirty (30) students during eighteen (18) months with a schedule of 1.900 hours as said in CAPANA analysis. That is why we have decided that the theorical education will be done by some attendant teachers whose wages are estimated at F CFA 9.500.000. Consequently the cost will be F CFA 246.500.000 or FF 2.465.000.

The financing will be made through the Non-Governmental Organizations (N.G.O.) gifts and also any help from volunteers persons. It won’t be paid back.

0.6. Summary of the practical application calendar

October 2002–October 2003: Found Raising

October 2003-October 2004:

Buildings : farmhouse – residence – administration…

 October 2004-September 2005 :

Settlement of the implements.

1^st of October 2005:

 Beginning of the classes with thirty (30) students.

0.7. Institutions or referees

This institution which is in charge of the project is Dominican Fathers Community.

Address :   08 Post Box 16 Abidjan 08 Côte d’Ivoire

Phone : (225) 22 44 40 41

Fax : (225) 22 48 69 77

Person in charge (of the Project)

Father Paul-Gabriel ADANOU who is a  Religious of the Order of Preachers and one of the members from the Dominican Community.

1. INTERVENTION CONTEXT

1.1. The geographical situation

The center is located in Memni, a village from Alepe department which is itself at fifty (50) kilometers from Abidjan our economical capital.

1.2. Reasons of the site choice

It is obvious that as far as the site choice is concerned Abidjan which is a urban town could not be chosen because the farm takes into account some agricultural schools and also some cultural buildings. Moreover, we need a large surface of about 12 hectares which has been given free by the villagers as their contribution to realise this project.

However Abidjan and its subprefectures are considered as some differred planning lands in other words they are protecting territory where the government checks and controls through some safety mesures all the property proceedings or lands transfer. Nowadays, this territory is clearly limited and includes : the commune of Abidjan – Dabou – Grand-Bassam and Jacqueville, the subprefectures of Anyama and Bingerville with the offshore bar which is included in Jacqueville subprefecture.

Town planning documents are clear and strict about the exploitation / use of these farms / lands because there are reserved for estate operations. It was therefore quite impossible for the Dominican preachers to settle such and agricultural project in either Abidjan and its surrounded towns or in the closest subprefecture. For instance Ex-IRHO experiment site meaning and oil-yielding research institute which has become a research college for students of Agronomics (CNRA). It is located since before Independance in Gonzaville on one of the protecting territory which has been given to a planning town office / administration. There are already many buildings on it.

In front of such a situation, it would have been quite risky to settle such an important and expensive project on a temporary land since it is included in Abidjan circumscription. Therefore, we were obliged to find out other rural surfaces which are not included in differred planning areas but which are within fifty (50) radius  of kilometers than Abidjan ones. (see picture)

In accordance with this criteria, our attention was focus on two subprefectues : Bonoua and Alepe. As far as Bonoua subprecture is concerned, it is well-known in agricultural performance mainly in pineapple and bananas production because it is helped by the most organized and structured trade office in the country called : O.C.A.B (Banana and pineapple trading office). Moreover, most of Bonoua farmers are intellectuals and educated : so they master agricultural technics. In a nutshell, realise the project in such an environment will not be useful.

In view of the fact that one of the main objectives of this project is not only to educate farmers but also to develop the area where the center is settled, Alepe rural surface is suitable because it remains and under-exploited agricultural land despite its vast potentialities. That is why it constitutes the latter range of the agricultural results from lagoon area.

Actually, the very first reason why the Dominican preachers have chosen Memni village in Alepe subprefecture is not only because they are on good terms with the villagers during many decades but also the villagers community has without delay offered twelve (12) ha in order to contribute to the realisation of the project; what proves their interest for it .

1.3. The site location advantages

The first location advantage is related to its proximity to Abidjan which is a huge consumption market of food crops such as (cassava – egg plants – gombo – tomatoes, etc.) and also an export trade (coffee – cocoa – hevea – palm oil). Thus, the products from our center will be easily sold. The second advantage is concerned with its proximity to the highier agricultural research institutes which are almost located in Abidjan and its surrounded towns. In the same range of thoughts, there is at about fifty km from Memni, an agricultural research center called C.N.R.A. (EX-IRHO).

The third advantage is the fact that we can join the center at any time through a road covered with bitumen of about two hundred (200) meters.

The fourth one is about the drinking water  system / network.

In fact, Memni village is alimentated in drinking water by a borehole – so our center can easily be connected to this system. Nevertheless, the center has decided to reinforce it with its own network which is already settled with a connected water tower.

The fifth advantage reveals the connection of Memni to the Ivorian Electricity Network. A middle tension wire of about ninety (90) Kv lengthily passes though the center; what will easily permit the settlement of a transformer unless we foresee during the building in aedificand : corridor of middle tension.

The sixth advantage concerns the phone. There is a manual phoning system in the whole  Alepe department and particulary in Memni village. So the center will be connected to the closest phone post which  is at about five hundred (500) meters.

The seventh advantage is related to the road traffic. There is no problem / matter as far as the traffic is concerned from Memni village to our capital (Abidjan) and its sourrounding towns or villages. We have two ways to join Memni :

-         The first way is concernd with the “mini-bus” of eighteen places commonly called “gbaka” which go from Memni station to Abidjan and vice-versus. The frequency of these “gbaka” traffic is about thirty ’30) mn and the transport costs seven hundred (F CFA 700) or seven francs (FF 7).

-         A second insite way who goes from Memni to Alepe prefecture located at eight (8) km and its surrounding villages. This insite way costs one hundred or one hundred and fifty according to the distance (F CFA 100 ou 150) and can be used by the inhabitant students.

Let’s mention that the center has foreseen a student’s club in order to lodge the students from Abidjan or the strangers.

2. THE CONCERNED PARTIES

The concerned parties to realise this project are :

• The Dominican Community

It is the project foreman who is in charge of the pilotage dues (practical application – financing research to realise the project).

• Rural communities from Alepe subprefecture

They are unconturnable in the realisation of the project because its success depends on their interest showed. Concerning that point, let’s point out their actual interest since they have freely give the land dedicated to realise the project and are in a hurry about the beginning.

3. PROBLEMS TO BE RESOLD BY THE PROJECT

The main problems that the project will contribute to resolve are surely the school retirements, youth unemployment and poverty from rural areas. In fact, school retirements in Ivory Coast is quite elevated. For instance, from 93 to 96, the were estimated at 29,48% in the first cycle and 55,48% in the second one. The only reason of such a situation is the parents’ poverty and also naturally leads to youngs unemployment because they don’t have any professionnal education; so unable to find out a well-paid job.

• Basic datas of secondary education in Ivory Coast

1^st cycle

Retirements board according to the 1^st form (6^ème) entries

Conclusion

The retirement rate in the first cycle according to the entries effectives in 6e is relatively important mainly in the first form (8,9%) and the third form (8,83%).

Every year the first form effectives increase so that the number of school retirement also increases.

During these three years (1993-1994) and (1995 to 1996), the total retirement was estimated at 94 666 which equals 29,48% concerning the entries in 6e and includes :

1^st form : 28 580 (8,90%)

2^nd form : 17 244 (5,37%)

3^rd form : 28 356 (8,83%)

4^th form : 20 487 (6,38%).

The cible-population of this project concerns the school retirement from the first cycle which is estimated at 7 118 students a year who leave / stop the school in the fourth form.

2^nd cycle

School retirement board according to the 1^st form of second cycle (2e)

Conclusion

The percentage of the second cycle retirement (from 1^st form to Terminale) is quite elevated. It is estimated at 55,48% and takes into account :

1^st form : 5,10%

2^nd form : 25,43%

3^rd form : 24,95%.

In second cycle, the cible-population of this project is about 19 638 students a year which corresponds to the sum / total of the pupils who leave school from (3e To Terminale). So we will have retirement of 3e + retirement from 2^nd cycle (7 118 + 19 639) = 26 756 students aged from about sixteen (16) to twenty two (22) years olds. Result : the concerned population is really important and it is yearly increasing growing.

The drawbacks of the descolarised increasing is a violent social revolt in the developping countries in general and in Ivory Coast in particular where delinquency becomes more and more unavoidable in towns or in villages. In addition to them, let’s add the students from universities who had stopped their studies and are unemployed because of lack of qualification / specialisation.

Such range of population is subjected to hooliganism and serious revolted action which can disturb the social peace if nothing is done to ensure and help them to fin jobs or to settle.

Therefore, this project aims to give / provide a qualified education to this range of population which can not buy school fees because of expensiveness and extreme poverty.

5. THE PROJECT ITSELF

5.1. Global objectives

The global objectives of this project are on the one hand to reduce the descolarized unemployment by educating and reinserting them in agricultural and breeding systems and on the other hand the reducing of poverty and rural exodus  in rural areas.

5.2. Specific objectives

The project aims to increase the breeding and agricultural income of the settled farmers in order to improve their purchasing power , and also to decrease poverty in rural areas.