Acting in Cote d’Ivoire,
for an inclusive, non-violent school

Our mission in Cote d’Ivoire

In Cote d’Ivoire, the challenges facing the education system, notably violence in schools, inadequate infrastructure and wide disparities between schools, underline the importance of strengthening educational practices and the quality of the school climate to promote student success.

Since 2012, Grains of Peace has been working alongside the French Ministry of Education to improve the school climate and enhance the quality of learning. We develop innovative teaching approaches that foster cooperation, prevent violence and support social cohesion.

Our actions have enabled us to train teaching teams, support schools in several regions of the country and deploy educational tools focused on life skills, adapted to the realities of the Ivorian terrain.

Our educational resource – Graines de Paix

Leon and his emotions exhibition

This playful exhibition helps children aged 4 to 12 to identify behaviors that trigger or aggravate violence, and to discover more respectful and cooperative reactions. It circulates in nursery and elementary school to build self-esteem, mutual understanding and a peaceful learning environment.

Conceived as a simple, itinerant tool, it also supports teachers by offering them concrete support to deal with emotions in the classroom and encourage more serene interactions.

Discover the Leon and his emotions exhibition

Our Graines de Paix educational projects

More than 10 years of commitment to transforming education in Cote d’Ivoire through innovative programs adapted to the realities on the ground.

Strengthening the skills of educational teams

Culture of Peace Education
(CIP1 & CIP2 – 2012-2017)
Graines de Paix has trained teaching teams in 15 Regional Education Departments (DRENA) to integrate the culture of peace into teaching practices. This training has enabled teachers to adopt more cooperative approaches and reduce violence in the classroom.

Initial Teacher Training Reform
(RFIM – 2016-2022)
In partnership with the Ministry of Education, we have supported the integration of peace education into pre-service teacher training across the 16 Centres d’Animation et de Formation Pédagogique (CAFOP). This structural approach strengthens teachers’ professional competencies from the very beginning of their careers, with long-term impact.

Cumulative impact: over 300 trainers, 23,000 teachers, 4,800 student-teachers and 650,000 students have been reached by these actions.

Fighting school violence

Learning in Peace, Educating without Violence
(2017-2019)
Pilot program conducted in the Abidjan and Tonpki regions to reduce physical and psychological violence in the school environment. Teachers have been supported in adopting more serene practices and strengthening the emotional security of pupils.

Violence Prevention and Response
(PRVE1 & PRVE2 – 2021-2022)
Initiatives designed to create safe and caring school environments, especially for girls. They combined teacher training, parent awareness-raising and protection actions within schools.

Cumulative impact: over 1,300 teachers trained, 127 schools reached, 4,000 parents sensitized, 40,000 pupils involved.

Promoting equality and social cohesion

Better School for Girls (MEF – 2019-2021)
Program conducted in the Man, Odienné and Abidjan regions to boost girls’ school attendance. MEF accompanied teachers in adopting more equitable practices and supported schools and families in removing social barriers to girls’ attendance and success.

Islamic educational institutions
(SIE – 2020-2021)
Project to support the integration of SIEs into the formal education system. The Foundation has trained teaching teams and supported schools to strengthen social cohesion and foster a shared learning climate.

Cumulative impact: over 1,000 teachers trained, 340 Islamic structures supported, 4,000 parents sensitized, 40,000 pupils involved.

Developing a culture of non-violence

Between 2018 and 2022, Graines de Paix deployed the “Neither hedgehog nor doormat” exhibition as part of non-violence awareness-raising activities.
This pedagogical tool enabled students and teachers to discover non-violent alternatives, better understand the mechanisms that lead to aggressive reactions and develop individual responsibility for their behavior.

Community awareness actions
Conferences, workshops and events were also organized to mobilize families and communities around violence prevention, mutual respect and a non-violent educational culture.

Cumulative impact: over 5,400 students reached and over 200 teachers involved

Each intervention is part of a collaborative approach with national and local authorities, guaranteeing sustainable ownership of the changes.

An impetus to pursue our mission

The actions carried out in Cote d’Ivoire have led to improvements in the day-to-day life of schools: calmer relations, better-controlled educational practices and closer collaboration between teachers, families and authorities.

Together with our current and future partners, we are pursuing this commitment to extend these advances and provide lasting support for schools in the most vulnerable regions.

Want to know more?
Contact us at prestations@grainesdepaix.org