Côte d'Ivoire/ Indigo raises awareness in Kong of the need to protect protected areas, forests and sacred sites

On Monday August 25, 2025, the NGO Indigo Côte d'Ivoire organized an educational session on the protection of protected areas, forests and sacred sites, in partnership with the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves (OIPR). The meeting was held in Kong's Sagara district and brought together community representatives, local associations and residents.

The aim was to inform and raise awareness of the need to preserve the environment, in the face of growing threats from deforestation, over-exploitation of natural resources and degradation of cultural sites.

OIPR's rural animator, Aya Grâce Kouakou, stressed "the importance of raising awareness to ensure better protection of natural resources".The preservation of forests and protected areas helps to regulate the climate and safeguard biodiversity.

A resident of the Sagara district, Konaté Bamori, welcomed the NGO's initiative, noting that sacred sites once preserved are now under threat. "Before, our sacred sites were really protected. Today, some people are destroying them because they don't know how important they are. Thanks to the NGO Indigo for its actions", he declared.

The president of a local women's association, Konaté Matata, expressed her group's commitment to continuing the awareness-raising actions. She indicated that women will play an active role in community mobilization in favor of environmental protection.

For several months now, the NGO Indigo, as part of the Kapok project, has been organizing regular meetings in various localities in Kong department. These initiatives aim to encourage community participation in resolving social and environmental problems, in particular the preservation of classified forests, protected areas and cultural sites considered as collective heritage.

Source: www.aip.ci/