Visit to the Alpha-Couture Project in Cote d’Ivoire

From October 2 to 5, 2024, the president of the Association of Young Visionaries of Côte d’Ivoire (AJV-CI) and a delegation from the French NGO SOLINFO supervised the Alpha-Couture project in Kanakono, located in the Tengréla region. This project, supported by SOLINFO and led by Edouard Lagourgue and Dr. Juliette Élie, targets out-of-school and vulnerable young girls. It aims to fight poverty, insecurity, and the consequences of illegal gold mining while promoting professional integration and economic empowerment.

The second cohort, sponsored by entrepreneur Koné Daouda, includes 14 young girls who will undergo an 18-month training program in literacy, professional sewing, and sexual and reproductive health for the 2024-2025 academic year. At the end of the training, each participant will receive a sewing machine to start their own micro-enterprise. This program also addresses local challenges related to violent extremism and jihadism by fostering the girls’ economic autonomy.

This phase introduces innovations such as training in nutrition, hygiene, and family education, along with a health component led by Dr. Juliette Élie focused on sickle cell disease. Both the trainees and the local population benefit from screenings and guidance on recognizing early signs of the disease.

AJV-CI aims to expand this project across the entire Bagoué region, empowering young girls to become autonomous citizens capable of contributing to the well-being of their families and communities.

You can read the full article in french here