Côte d’Ivoire church to help build schools in central Africa

The Côte d’Ivoire United Methodist Church is planning to help build schools in the Central African Republic.

Côte d’Ivoire Bishop Benjamin Boni and Central African Republic Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire Lydie Flore Magba signed an agreement for technical and economic cooperation in education on Oct. 8 at the Jubilee Temple of Cocody in Abidjan.

“When the church invests in education, it sends the message that the life that Jesus gives is not only about the kingdom to come but also about the present,” Boni said.

He praised the Central African government’s efforts to improve the lives of its people. 

This collaboration aims to replicate the United Methodist schools model of Côte d’Ivoire by building, among other things, 12 school complexes in 12 cities ranging from preschool to secondary school, each with a health center, a canteen and a place of worship. 

How to help

Donate to the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries’ Central African Republic Mission Initiative through Advance # 3021993.

“We want to care for each child at all levels,” said Lazare Kouassi, director-general of the United Methodist Schools in Côte d’Ivoire.

The project is expected to take five years and is estimated to cost nearly $165 million U.S. The government already has made 124 hectares (about 306 acres) of land available. The government will take care of the schooling of 60% of the children, and support one-third of the total cost. The rest will come from outside partners.

The Côte d’Ivoire church will help design curriculum, share best practices and assist with the management of the schools, according to the memorandum of understanding.

The education system of the United Methodist Church in Côte d’Ivoire is organized around a structure called the General Directorate of the United Methodist Schools. It has 97 schools, including 36 preschools, 53 elementary schools and eight secondary schools.

For the 2019-2020 school year, 23,257 students were enrolled, with more than half of those girls (51.11%). Its schools are among the institutions of excellence in Côte d’Ivoire. The General Directorate has existed since 1926. 

It was during a mission to Côte d’Ivoire that Biro Rameaux, economic affairs advisor to Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, suggested that the General Directorate of the Methodist Schools could be a model for “his country in reconstruction,” Kouassi said. 

“Following his report, the president of the Republic made it a priority by entrusting its follow-up and implementation to his ambassador,” said Hippolyte Tramo, a Central African citizen and professor of mathematics at the General Directorate of the United Methodist Schools for about 10 years.

The successive socio-political and economic crises in this former French colony have disrupted the Central African education system, leading to an insufficient number of qualified teachers, low school attendance and the destruction of school equipment and infrastructure, according to data provided in the memorandum of understanding. The document noted that surveys in 2010 showed that 30% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 have never had access to school. 

“If the church has decided to accompany me in my mission, I give glory to God,” said Magba. “The signing of this agreement is a divine plus in my mission.” She said it was the first agreement in the international relations framework that she signed since coming to Côte d’Ivoire in November 2019. 

Subscribe to our
e-newsletter

Like what you're reading and want to see more? Sign up for our free daily and weekly digests of important news and events in the life of The United Methodist Church.

Keep me informed!

The United Methodist Church in the Central African Republic is a mission initiative under the East Congo Episcopal Area. It is supported by the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The presence of the denomination in the country dates back to 2006. There are 20 United Methodist communities (local churches) in the country, according to the Rev. Marcel Sachou, a Global Ministries missionary in the Central African Republic and a member of the Côte d’Ivoire United Methodist Church.

Boni expressed the wish to see the education project become a reality.

“We will make ourselves the instrument of God to help the brotherly people of the Central African Republic who, for some years now, have been passing through the valley of trial,” Boni said. “For us, it is an infinite joy to share with others what God is doing with us.”

Broune directs French news for UM News and is based in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

News media contact: Vicki Brown at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.


Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Theology and Education
Student Tanaka Chamburuka is surrounded by proud teachers and family after winning the top academic prize for his grade level at Seke 1 High School in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. From left are teacher Brenda Chawanji; Sarudzai Chamburuka, Tanaka’s mother; Tanaka; and teacher Rita Gondo. The United Methodist Church in the Chitungwiza Marondera District provided prizes for top students in memory of church member Esnath Ginnah Kadenge, a longtime English teacher at the school. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Teacher’s legacy creates church, school partnership

United Methodists help Zimbabwe school revive awards ceremony with gifts donated in memory of former teacher and church member.
Global Health
Pierre Kenga (not pictured) traveled more than 80 kilometers from the village of Dikwadjondo in Sankuru province to the United Methodist-affiliated Tunda General Hospital in Tunda, Congo, with his wife (seated) and his sister (lying down). The hospital is attracting more patients from distant regions. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Hospital provides beacon of hope in Eastern Congo

Thanks to new buildings and equipment, Tunda General Hospital attracts patients from far and wide, bringing care to a remote region.
Central Conferences
Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone (center) addresses the council during its Nov. 3-8 fall meeting. Sitting beside Malone is Bishop L. Jonathan Holston (left), Council of Bishops secretary, and Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., president-designate. Malone leads the Indiana Conference, Holston leads the North Alabama and Alabama-West Florida conferences, and Saenz leads what will be the Horizon Texas Conference starting Jan. 1. Photo by Rick Wolcott, Council of Bishops.

Bishops urge halt to Côte d’Ivoire funding

The United Methodist Council of Bishops is asking the denomination’s finance agency to suspend all funding for bishop compensation and related expenses in Côte d’Ivoire.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2024 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved