The M’Bengue Education Initiative seeks to empower the people of Tonhon, Poungbe, Drissafogo, Sekonkaha, and Dogolefogo, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, so that they may free themselves from the vicious cycle of poverty and lead productive, sustainable lives with dignity. We will realize this goal by schooling children and training both young and mature adults to be community health agents.
Projects Goals
- Build and equip an elementary school of 12 classes in Tonhon, Côte d’Ivoire by June 30, 2010 and provide subsidized breakfast and lunch with the outcome that children of these five villages will attend and complete a primary education.
- Build and operate a Resource Learning Center which will include four classrooms, a library, and school supplies by June 30, 2012 with the result that adults, 15 years of age and older will acquire general literacy skills and training as mobile community health agents. Children will receive after school tutorial services.
Project Sites
Tonhon, Poungbe, Drissafogo, Sekonkaha, and Dogolefogo are five small villages located in northern Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, in the province of M’Bengue. The populations of these villages do not have access to schools (except Poungbe), health centers, clean drinking water, sanitary latrines, and electricity. Female illiteracy rate is very high, and estimated at 95%, diseases run rampant, especially malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, worming, hernia, the extent of the HIV rate remain unknown, as no HIV testing has been done. Those populations live off $1 or less a day.
Bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, West of Ghana and East of Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire is located in the western region of Africa.
Area: 322,500 sq. km. (124,500 sq. mi.); slightly larger than New Mexico.
Population: 20, 677,000
Capital: Abidjan (economic capital; Yamoussoukro- political capital)
Climate: Tropical in the south; arid in the north
Religions: Indigenous 10%-20%, Muslim 35%-40%, and Christian (Catholic, Protestant, and other denominations) 25%-35%.
Languages: French (official) and more than 60 dialects.
Literacy rate: 51%.
Life expectancy: 46 years.
Project Management Plan
- Phase1: Collect baseline data on these five villages to determine the literacy rate, average schooling years, and disease prevalence rate in each village. Those data will help us establish a poverty index to evaluate the impact of the project, and share the results with our stakeholders and other nonprofit organizations. Throughout that phase we will also raise awareness about the importance of education.
- Phase 2: Build and equip the elementary school of 12 classes, 1st through 6th grade.
- Phase 3: Build and equip ETP’s Timbuktu Learning Resource Center which is made up of four classrooms, one library, and school supplies.
- Phase 4: A project’s impact will be conducted every six months and published in our annual report and to all stakeholders. Health and general educators will undergo training with other nonprofits or experts in the field to enhance their skills.
The day-to-day operations of the construction of the elementary school and Resource Learning Center will be handled through our regional office in Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire while the fiscal management of the project will be conducted in our headquarters, in Fredericksburg, Virginia through our accounting team. A separate account for the project will be created and controlled through our headquarters.
Our projected budget will be available soon.
Empowering the Poor
Empowering the Poor, Inc. (ETP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that travels worldwide to empower men, women and children with the resources they need to take control of their lives and prosper.
Website by Dave Moore.
Powered by Drupal.