Côte d’Ivoire has significantly expanded its school canteen program, now boasting over 5,600 facilities, thanks in part to a recent donation from the Rotary Club of Abidjan Biétry.
On Sunday, March 16, 2025, the club inaugurated a new school cafeteria at the Mariatou Kone High School in Boundiali, northern Côte d’Ivoire.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of National Education and Literacy, Professor Mariatou Kone, and the Deputy Mayor of Boundiali. The new canteen brings the total number of school canteens in the country from 277 in 1989 to 5,603.
Abdoulaye Zeba, President of the Rotary Club of Abidjan Biétry, who was elevated to a notable of Boundiali and received the honorary title of Peleforo (“one who does good”), emphasized the importance of the project, aligning with the Rotary International President’s vision and the club’s 2024-2025 term theme, “The Magic of Rotary.”
Minister Mariatou Kone, a past president of the Rotary Club of Abidjan Biétry and the term’s patron, praised the initiative, highlighting the crucial role of school meals in keeping children in school and improving their academic performance. “A hungry man is not a free man,” she quoted former President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, stressing that the canteen will help students eat well, reduce absenteeism, and promote success.
The newly constructed and equipped canteen received additional support, including printers, air conditioners, microwaves, kitchen utensils, coolers, and other supplies. The school will also benefit from a multimedia room and a 60 million CFA franc budget allocation for the canteen. The Boundiali Modern College will receive 10 million CFA francs for its canteen.
Minister Kone called on public and private sector companies, foundations, and philanthropic organizations to join or intensify their efforts in the education sector. This marks the Rotary Club of Abidjan Biétry’s second such project in the region, following their 2023 donation of a school canteen to the village of Guengreni.
AP/Sf/fss/abj/APA