The ceremony which took place at the headquarters of the Children Of Africa Foundation, witnessed the presence of Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, President of the Children Of Africa Foundation; Mrs. Mariatou Koné, Minister of Education and Literacy; Mr. Philippe Collin, Consul General of France; Dr. Alain Nys, President of the Cité Club Universitaire Association and his wife, members of the education system, parents and students benefiting from the educational stay in Cap d’Ail.

For this 7th edition, a total of twelve (12) secondary school students aged between 15 and 16 in 4th, were selected. These students, selected from all over Côte d’Ivoire, and respecting the parity of 06 girls and 06 boys, come from Dabou, Odienné, Abidjan, Dimbokro, Abobo, Doaukro, Grand-Bassam, Man, Aboisso, Sassandra, Yamoussoukro and Adzopé.

They obtained grades of between 16.49 and 18.50. These students will spend twenty-one (21) days or three (03) weeks of their educational vacation at the Centre Méditerranéen d’Etudes Françaises (CMEF) in Cap d’Ail, on the Côte d’Azur in the south of France.

Each of the beneficiaries will receive three hundred (300) Euros before their departure for France from the Children Of Africa Foundation, and 270 Euros from the Cité Club Universitaire Association once in France. This means that a total of 570 euros will be made available to each child during their stay. The beneficiaries will receive a total of 3,540 euros for any purchases they may make during their stay in France.

During the ceremony, Dominique Ouattara, President of the Children Of Africa Foundation, explained the meaning of the partnership between Children Of Africa and the Cité Club Universitaire Association. According to Ms. Dominique Ouattara, this collaboration is to promote excellence in schools. “This collaboration between our two institutions aims to promote excellence in the school environment. It also gives the most deserving children the opportunity to broaden their knowledge by discovering another country. This educational stay, organized in an exceptional setting on the Côte d’Azur and in a rich multicultural environment, is conducive to both leisure and learning for the children. Every year, the children return home with unforgettable memories and wonderful stories to share with their friends and families, following their stay”, said Ms Dominique Ouattara. Ms Dominique Ouattara also took the opportunity to congratulate the young beneficiaries on their excellent academic results. “You have given the best of yourselves to get this result, and like your parents, I am particularly proud of you. You’ve earned these wonderful vacations, and I encourage you to make the most of it and make new friends,” she said.

Mrs. Dominique Ouattara also thanked Dr. Alain Nys, President of the Cité Club Universitaire Association, and his wife for their collaboration. The wife of the Head of State expressed her hope that this partnership would continue for the benefit of young Ivorians. “You are doing a wonderful job through your organization, bringing knowledge and culture to young people. We are very grateful to you. I hope that this beautiful partnership between our two institutions will grow stronger over time, to the benefit of our children, knowledge and cultural mix”, she wished. Madame Dominique Ouattara concluded by thanking the teaching staff and encouraging the children to keep on working hard.

Ms Mariatou Koné, Minister of National Education and Literacy, recalled that in 9 years, this partnership between Ms Dominique Ouattara’s Foundation and the Cité Club Universitaire Association has enabled a total of 66 children to benefit from this summer camp in Cap d’Ail in the south of France. To this end, Ms Mariatou Koné renewed the commitment of her Ministry and the entire teaching staff to continue to play their part to ensure young people’s education.

Dr Alain Nys, President of the Association Cité Club Universitaire, presented the commune of Cap d’Ail, located between the Principality of Monaco and Nice. He also gave a brief history of the creation of the Centre Méditerranéen d’Etudes Françaises (CMEF). Created in 1952, the center opened its first session in 1953. The center covers an area of 4 hectares of vegetation. The CMEF is an international language learning campus. According to the Director, young Ivorians will benefit from the “Junior” program, which will enable them to exchange with young people from all over the world.

Miss Guenaman Syntiche Samuela, spokesperson for the beneficiaries, thanked the First Lady for her generosity and for giving them the chance to visit France for the first time.

The young beneficiaries of this program will fly to France on Friday, July 21, 2023. After a stay of three (03) weeks, they will return on August 12.