The region

Gontougo: a young population, a strong identity

In north-eastern Côte d’Ivoire, on the border with Ghana, Gontougo is home to village communities rich in tradition and to young people who want to build their future without having to leave their land.

The region

A land of savannah, villages and crossroads

A region of the Zanzan district with Bondoukou as its capital, Gontougo includes the department of Tanda, where the festival was born. An agricultural border area, it has long been crossed by human and trade exchanges that shaped a culture of hospitality and dialogue.

This village identity is a resource: it underpins strong solidarity. It can also become a barrier when opportunities to meet are lacking. BI-WÔRI was designed to turn this mosaic into a network.

[data]inhabitants in the region
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[data]share of under-35s
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[data]villages in the Tanda department
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20villages already mobilised by BI-WÔRI
Measured result

Young people

Huge potential, opportunities still to build

As across the country, young people make up a major share of Gontougo’s population. Their energy is the region’s greatest asset — provided it finds an outlet.

Official figures (census, regional statistics) will be added here with their sources, so that partners and funders have a verifiable basis.

Access to information and jobs

Distance from major economic hubs limits access to job offers, training and professional networks.

The pull of migration

Without local prospects, some young people leave the villages, weakening the community fabric.

A desire to build businesses

Farming, trade, services: ideas exist, but often lack support and visibility.

A need for shared spaces

Places where young people from different villages meet and cooperate remain rare.

Our response

Why the festival is the right lever

Youth policies often fail for lack of buy-in. BI-WÔRI starts from the opposite end: it builds on what already mobilises people — sport, celebration, village belonging — and attaches training, networking and entrepreneurship to it.

Start from the region

Villages are not passive beneficiaries: they are the festival’s actors and ambassadors.

Mobilise through buy-in

The tournament and the celebration generate voluntary participation, far more lasting than any summons.

Convert into capabilities

Each activity turns that presence into skills, networks or concrete projects.

The Festival

Programme

Get Involved

Partners