The First Lady, Dominique Ouattara, offers an ambulance to the Gonaté health center

The people of the locality of Gonaté celebrated with ostentation their first ambulance offered by Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire, on Friday, January 19, 2018. The ceremony took place at the local stadium in presence of Minister Léopoldine Tiezan Coffie, President of Women’s Network (RIFAA) and many other executives and elected officials of the locality.

Indeed, the First Lady, Dominique Ouattara, President of the National Oversight Committee for Fight against Trafficking, Exploitation and Child Labour (CNS) donated a fully medicalized ambulance worth 35 million CFA francs as part of her efforts to raise population’s awareness on  child labour issue in cocoa production, and also to strengthen the health system of the locality.

The populations welcomed with fervour the donation and the immense effort made by  Mrs. Dominique Ouattara which enables the  evacuation of the sick to the main health center. The President of the CNS was represented at this ceremony by Mr. Amani Michel Ange, National consultant in charge of  Child Labour in the Office of the First Lady. On behalf of the President of the CNS, he officially handed over the keys of the new ambulance to the authorities of Gonaté. According to him, the gift of the First Lady is part of her effort to fight against child labour in cocoa farming. He recalled that Côte d'Ivoire was accused by the international community of using child labourers in cocoa plantations. A situation that nearly failed to have a negative impact on cocoa trade. In  that context, the Head of State decided to create the CNS chaired by the First Lady and the Interministerial Committee against Trafficking, Exploitation and Child Labour (CIM) chaired by Mr. Jean-Claude Kouassi, Minister of Employment and Social Affairs to address the issue. Thus, under the leadership of the First Lady, our country has emerged from the turbulent zone. However, despite the efforts made and policies already implemented, much remains to be done to eradicate this scourge. The emissary of Mrs. Dominique Ouattara also called on the populations of Gonaté to get involved in the fight against this phenomenon.

Mrs. Léopoldine Coffie, President of RIFAA agreed to take over the fight against trafficking, exploitation and child labour in the region. She also took this opportunity to thank the First Lady for this invaluable gift to  the populations of Gonaté.

The Honorable Tchiboue Tchin Michel, spokesperson for the people and MP for the region express all his joy and indicated that the cities of his district namely Bediala, Gadouan and Gonaté, are now equipped with an ambulance for the well-being of the populations.

The people of Gonaté offered african clothes and many other gifts to the Presidential couple as a way of expressing their appreciation.