It was a particularly festive atmosphere in the little village of Gbézio, situated at 7 km from Facobly in the Department of Man, in western Côte d'Ivoire on Thursday, 27 August 2015. Elderly, women, youths and school children had reserved a warm welcome for the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou on her arrival in the locality.



The Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) had decided to visit the village for the inauguration of three classrooms and a director's office which had been built and furnished as part of UNOCI's Quick Impact Projects programme and donated to Gbézio.



Welcoming the Special Representative and her delegation, after a moving libation ceremony performed by village elders, the resident Mayor, Mr. Mahan Germain said that villagers were proud to receive the visitors in their midst. They were particularly proud because the visit came with a donation of three classrooms and a director's office for their primary school.



«This donation will help us achieve the Government's programme of compulsory education for all. There is no doubt that your action will benefit the people of Gbézio and Côte d'Ivoire, especially wth regard to children's education and the future of our country, » he added. Mr. Mahan also welcomed the fact that the different communities in his village had lived in harmony in the spirit of solidarity.



For his part, the spokesperson of Gbézio village, Mr. Mahi Paul thanked UNOCI for all its efforts. Outlining the history of the primary school, he said that the construction of the three classrooms was symbolic because originally the school was built with wood before missionaries added other classrooms which were managed by local villagers. Between the years 1969 and 70, a farmer called Thao Guei Emile, used part of the money he had received as compensation after being injured, to build the first lot of classrooms in concrete. However when the number of children outnumbered the space provided, Gbézio decided to seek the Mission's help.



« Building a school in a village is like providing a vaccine to prevent an illness because these days not going to school is like living in intellectual obscurity which is an obstacle to development. UNOCI has also contributed to Gbézio determination to reject obscurity and protect its children, as well as avoid intellectual blindness », said Mr. Mahi.



Mrs Mindaoudou thanked the people of Gbézio for their warm welcome and congratulated the women for their dynamism which she said augured well for future of the village. She paid special tribute to Mr. Thao for his alturism and his initiative, before recalling that UNOCI was in Côte d'Ivoire to accompany Ivorians in the consolidation of social cohesion. She said the construction of the three classroom in Gbézio was part of the Mission's accompaniment in this regard. The Head of UNOCI added that even if the UN Mission is not able to respond to all the demands of the populations, the building of the three classrooms contributes to its support for the efforts of the national authorities in attaining the UN Millenium Development Goals in the field of education.



Mrs Mindaoudou said that the aim of the school project was to provide children, boys as well as girls, with the means to finish their primary education because school remains a central element of life. « By training the young, we give them a better future and a chance to fully develop. It is by going to school that children, boys and girls, will gain their independence. In addition, school is a temple of learning, and a place of community. It is a social environment where everyone meets without distinction of origin or ethnicity. School is therefore the best way of apprenticeship of brotherhood, tolerance and respect for others », she added. She expressed the hope that the school in Gbézio will produce the leaders of tomorrow. As a way of supporting the school children, UNOCI's chief also donated text books and pens during the ceremony. She then asked everyone to play their part in maintaining social cohesion and peace so that Gbézio can serve as a locomotive for national reconciliation.



The Prefect of Facobly, Mr. Diané Bassinouma, who received the keys to the classrooms from the Special Representative, the handed them over Schools Inspector who in turn handed them over to the director of primary schools. He urged them to make good use of the classrooms.



The ceremony, which included a parade by school children, dancing and singing, ended with the cutting of the ribbon to the classrooms and a visit to the classes.