Activity 03 — BI-WÔRI Gontougo Youth Network

A one-day festival, a year-round network

The festival creates encounters; the challenge is making them last. The BI-WÔRI Gontougo Youth Network we are building will connect young people across the villages to share information, seize opportunities and act together, well beyond 21 November.

The challenge

The energy is there; the connections are missing

In Gontougo, many opportunities — training, jobs, funding, calls for projects — never reach the villages. And many youth initiatives remain isolated because they cannot draw on peers elsewhere.

An annual event, however successful, cannot change that alone. An organised network can turn one-off mobilisation into lasting social capital: trust, mutual support and the capacity for collective action.

Stay informed

Receive training, job and funding opportunities relevant to the region.

Connect

Meet committed young people from other villages and build collaborations.

Act

Take part in community action: tree planting, clean-ups, awareness campaigns, sport.

Grow

Benefit from mentoring by professionals and members of the diaspora.

Proposed structure

A network designed from the villages up

Proposed structure, set to evolve with the first members.

MEMBERS

The young people of Gontougo

Festival participants, Academy ambassadors, Startup winners, volunteers and any young person who signs the charter.

RELAYS

Village coordinators

In each village, a coordinator — often an Academy ambassador — runs the network locally and reports needs.

COORDINATION

Coordination unit

Attached to the festival committee, it shares opportunities, organises meet-ups and tracks indicators.

CHANNELS

Online and in person

Messaging groups by village and theme, regular meet-ups, and an annual gathering at the festival.

MENTORS

Professionals and diaspora

Elders from the region now established elsewhere share their experience and open their networks.

CHARTER

Shared rules

Neutrality, respect, goodwill and commitment to the community. Charter being drafted.

Roadmap

Building the network step by step

The following stages are targets; they will be updated as they are achieved.

Before the festival

Pre-registration

Gather the first members and identify future village coordinators.

21 November 2026

Official launch

Founding meeting at the festival, adoption of the charter, creation of groups.

First months

First actions

Regular sharing of opportunities and first community actions in the villages.

Next edition

Public review

Presentation of measured results: active members, actions carried out, opportunities taken up.

Provisional timeline

Measurement

What we will track

—registered members
To be measured

—villages represented
To be measured

—community actions carried out
To be measured

—opportunities shared
To be measured

Pre-registration

Be one of the founding members

Pre-registration is free and non-binding. It helps us size the network and invite you to the launch meeting.

Invitation to the official launch
First opportunities shared with you
The chance to become your village’s coordinator

Questions about the network

Is membership free?

Yes. Joining the network is free.

Is the network political?

No. The network is non-partisan and open to all young people who respect the shared charter.

I live in Abidjan or abroad — can I join?

Yes, particularly as a mentor or as a relay for opportunities for young people back in the villages.

How can an organisation support the network?

By funding its coordination, sharing job offers or providing mentors. Contact us.

The Festival

Programme

Get Involved

Partners

A one-day festival, a year-round network

The energy is there; the connections are missing

Stay informed

Connect

Act

Grow

A network designed from the villages up

The young people of Gontougo

Village coordinators

Coordination unit

Online and in person

Professionals and diaspora

Shared rules

Building the network step by step

Pre-registration

Official launch

First actions

Public review

What we will track

Be one of the founding members

Questions about the network

Explore the other activities

Inter-Village Football Tournament

BI-WÔRI Leadership Academy

BI-WÔRI Children's Village

"Women Leaders of Gontougo" Panel

BI-WÔRI Startup Competition

BI-WÔRI Practical Workshops