2023 in review

The IKOUĒ initiative aims to build an ecosystem serving human capital in the CAR, one in which the diaspora has the right tools to contribute effectively to positive change.

The challenge in 2023 was to confirm with our audience that this project had a reason to exist and that the format we proposed was viable.

Our plan was to:

• Present the project to the first selected partners in the Central African Republic
• Present the project to certain members of the diaspora
• Launch the first training sessions to collect data and prepare the conditions to start our first cohort

Setting up the company

IKOUĒ is made up of two entities: an association and a limited company (SARL). The first supports our non-profit initiatives, while the second handles the commercial side in order to fund the project.

On the legal front, we chose to incorporate IKOUĒ early in the Central African Republic, before considering expansion into other countries. This approach let us adapt to the local challenges of starting a business and build a robust foundation for a genuinely independent project.

Partnership with the Institut Pasteur de Bangui (IPB)

In 2023, our goal was to reach people interested in software development training, as well as entrepreneurs.

Initially, we planned to run online sessions to allow remote participation. However, practical constraints pushed us toward a different approach: finding a connected training space to host our audience and hold the sessions in person.

With the support of the Institut Pasteur de Bangui and its executive director, Yap BOUM II, who responded positively to our request, we were able to offer our learners a suitable place to gather regularly each week.

Workshops and pre-training

Demand for qualified software development profiles is a curve that knows no crisis. It is a sector that offers many levers and one in which we intend to invest significantly.

Between October and December 2023, more than 200 people answered our invitation.

The workshops and pre-training sessions were held on Fridays and Saturdays at the Institut Pasteur de Bangui, lasting about 4 hours on average. We were able to cover the following topics:

• Presentation of our short- and medium-term vision

• Presentation of the training plan

• A session dedicated to API/back-end development

• A session dedicated to website and web application development

• A session dedicated to entrepreneurs

• A session dedicated to mobile application development

• The number of people who attended these sessions let us close the year with the validation we were looking for, to better prepare the 2024 programme.

The challenges for 2024

Internet access remains the main challenge of the format we offer.

The rollout of fibre optic should accelerate our programme, letting us offer learners more interactive content.

What is more, owning a computer is essential to follow a programming and software development course. Having an equipped room available several days a week would be a solution for learners without a computer, allowing them to keep pace with the sessions.

As 2024 dawns, we aim to solve these two major issues before launching our very first cohort.