The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire and head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou, on Monday, 21 September 2015, handed over the keys to an education centre for pupils at the public primary school in Gribouo, a village in the sous-préfecture of Buyo, in the region of Nawa, situated at some 180 km from San Pedro in the southwest of the country.



The renovation work involved six classrooms and the construction and equipping of a school canteen. The ceremony brought together the 327 pupils of the primary school, teachers, elected representatives and officials, the prefect of the department and the various communities living in the locality. Huge crowds of people gathered in the grounds of the school to show their gratitude to the Special Representative and her delegation for the action carried out by UNOCI which signified the return of social cohesion in their village.



The representative of the president of the Nawa Regional Council said: "This action turns the page on the painful events which took place in this village in February 2013 when we experienced violent intercommunity confrontations. Gribouo has once again found its normal rhythm and thanks to this project our children have gladly returned to their school which now has a canteen to provide them with meals ».



In her address, the Special Representative explained the context in which UNOCI took the decision to finance the project – the aim, she said , was to offer a better future to the children. " It is by educating our children that we can give them a better future, it is by sending them to school that we can give them the opportunity to acquire the tools for their development, it is through education that our children, boys and girls can become independent," said Mrs Mindaoudou. With regard to the importance of going to school, the head of UNOCI said that it the ideal apprenticeship for brotherhood, tolerance and respect for others.



As the ceremony took place on International Day of Peace which is celebrated every 21 September, the Special Representative took the opportunity to highlight the importance of partnerships for peace, which is the theme of the Day this year. "The work of the United Nations and UNOCI will not be possible without the partnerships which we have with the national, regional and local authorities and the population...", she said.



With regard to the electoral period, the Special Representative urged the people of Gribouo to preserve peace in their village during the electoral period in 2015 and encouraged them to continue with their efforts to maintain social cohesion and a peaceful environment for the holding of free, transparent and democratic election. She assured them of UNOCI's support in all their initiatives to promote peace, reconciliation and social cohesion.



The prefect of department, for his part, called on parents to send their children to school because well-educated children constitute a force for the future of the country. She urged the people to do all they can to maintain the flames of peace, especially during the electoral period.



The ceremony ended with a visit to the classrooms and the school canteen as well as a donation for school supplies from UNOCI to the pupils.