First Lady of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
Biography
H.E. Mrs Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, has had a brilliant career as a company director after obtaining a university degree in property administration and a diploma in real estate. A mother of two, Mrs Dominique Ouattara has been involved in humanitarian activities for decades. In 1998, she set up the Children of Africa Foundation, which works in 11 African countries in addition to Côte d’Ivoire.
Projects
Through her Foundation, Mrs Dominique Ouattara is involved in three major areas of activity:
Health
Major project:
– Bingerville Mother and Child Hospital (2018)
Education
Major projects:
– Kong High School of Excellence (2000)
– Children of Africa Excellence School Group in Abobo (2020)
Social services
Major projects :
– La Case des enfants, the Foundation’s first reception centre for children in distress (1998)
– Centres for children in difficulty in Soubré, Ferkéssédougou and Bouaké (2018, 2019 and 2021)
Other social initiatives:
– The Biblobus, which criss-cross the country to bring reading to children
– Inauguration of multimedia rooms across the country
– Organisation of Christmas trees every year for thousands of children in Côte d’Ivoire
– Organisation of an annual football tournament in 70 departments of Côte d’Ivoire
– Annual holiday camp in Cap d’Ail for the country’s best pupils
– Subsidised childcare centres in other African countries
As First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Mrs Dominique Ouattara is also active in the following areas:
– In the fight against child labour and the social reintegration of minors through the CNS;
– Empowering women through the FAFCI (375,000 beneficiaries to date);
– For the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and for access to paediatric treatment, as UNAIDS Special Ambassador.
Projects in progress
In 2024, the following projects are nearing completion:
– The new “Case des Enfants”, the Foundation’s first reception centre, which has been completely renovated and extended;
– The Maison de vie at the Hôpital Mère-Enfant in Bingerville, designed to accommodate the families of sick children in long-term hospital care.
– The reception centre for women in distress in Adiaké.
