The Bouna multipurpose youth center, long abandoned and left in disrepair, has been officially reopened following a comprehensive rehabilitation project financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the backing of Germany and Denmark.
The refurbished facility, which cost 90 million FCFA, was inaugurated on July 19, 2025, by Nialé Kaba, Ivory Coast’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Development.
The ceremony brought together key figures, including UNDP Resident Representative Blerta Cela, United Nations System Coordinator Hélène N’garnim Ganga, Zanzan District Minister-Governor Dr. Touré Souleymane, and representatives from UNFPA and UNICEF.
Originally built under the leadership of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the youth center had deteriorated for decades, becoming overrun by vegetation and occupied by drug users and stray animals.
Now restored, it stands as the largest hall in Bounkani region, accommodating more than 500 people. The facility is expected to serve as a hub for training, cultural activities, civic engagement, and social cohesion—key elements in preventing conflict and violent extremism in the region.
The renovated center boasts a main hall with state-of-the-art sound systems, fully furnished offices with modern IT equipment, and redesigned outdoor spaces illuminated by solar-powered streetlights to ensure safety for day and night activities.
“He who plants a tree today provides shade for his children tomorrow.
This home is that tree. It’s up to you to make it grow with the ideas, talents, and solidarity of tomorrow,” said UNDP Resident Representative Blerta Cela during the event.
The project forms part of two broader UNDP initiatives: “Engaging Youth and Women for Crisis Prevention, Social Stability, Peacebuilding and Reducing Community Violence in the North” and “Conflict Prevention in the Gulf of Guinea.”
Camara Ladji Seydou, president of the Bouna municipal youth movement, expressed gratitude for the rehabilitation, praising the UNDP’s work and its tangible impact on the community. Minister Nialé Kaba encouraged the region’s youth to make the center a place of unity and opportunity, ensuring it fulfills its role as a lasting pillar of development and peace.
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