Vocational training centers open in Côte d’Ivoire to reduce child labor
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The ENACTE program provided vocational training to 100 adolescents in the Nawa region of Côte d’Ivoire.
This initiative established three apprenticeship training centers in the villages of Méagui, Buyo, Okrouyo, and Guéyo. The project aims to provide teenagers living in cocoa production areas with professional skills and job opportunities to steer them away from labor that is unsuitable for their age in plantations.
The International Labour Organization (OIT) visited the sites from 27 to 30 October 2026 to oversee the project. Following the visit, officials handed over the new infrastructure to local authorities. Konan Sylvain, the ENACTE program coordinator, stated that the goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem for high-quality learning to ensure long-term professional development for the youth. The European Union and Swiss Cooperation funded the program to improve the livelihoods of cocoa-producing communities.
Local leaders, including the central chief of the Okrouyo sub-prefecture, Kosséré Zéphirin, pledged to protect the facilities to secure the future of the children. The coordinator noted that the centers can become autonomous if they receive regular monitoring and the proper resources for maintenance.
