Thrown a lifeline! We have a centre!!!

A friend of C.R.E.E.R’s founder handed us a lifeline a fortnight prior to the Founder returning to Cote d’Ivoire.

Initially the trip was going to focus on researching trafficking routes across Burkina Faso & Ghana with entry points into Cote d’Ivoire.  However, it ended up being a race to get to Abidjan from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to meet the owner of the land prior to his departure for his home in the Czech Republic.

The centre is now being rented by C.R.E.E.R & includes a watchman who is also a very handy boatman; much needed for our new abode.  We are in the centre of Abidjan but on the lagoon in a new area that is developing; Adjahui is like a small village, very quiet with only the sound of outboard motors.  Opposite the densely populated Koumassi district of Abidjan & near the airport, we’re very lucky to have somewhere we can start operations.

Essentially we have two residential buildings; we’ve named one after Achille, our ‘landlords’ former business partner who sadly passed away late in 2013, he built this little piece of paradise unaware that C.R.E.E.R was going to move in!  The Founder last saw Achille during the 2010/2011 crisis when he risked his life to drive towards Abidjan from the border at Noe with her & ran into a bit of trouble on the bridge entering Grand Bassam.  

The other building which is in fact two small houses called ‘Robin’.  As we’ve named after U.Roberto Romano;  who filmed ‘The Dark Side of Chocolate’ & was a great supporter of C.R.E.E.R – very sad he didn’t get to see this stage of the organisation!

We also have a 11x10m space to create a classroom/workshop area as well as another 15x5m area that needs a roof that will be another area to work with the children.

The whole complex sits on the lagoon & we’ve been lucky enough to inherit a boat with a 40hp outboard motor which will help to get supplies.  There is also a public ferry that plies between the village & Koumassi.

We are still looking for our own piece of land whilst this is a temporary measure to get us started … but we can start!