The commune of Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire, is set to host the first pilot edition of the Communal Leisure Days (JC-Loisir) from September 24-26, 2026. This initiative, launched by the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure, aims to promote educational, accessible, and community-based leisure activities. The program is a collaboration between the Ministry and the Dimbokro municipality, supported by the Tourism Development Fund.
The JC-Loisir program will train 51 young volunteers, aged 18-35, in sociocultural animation techniques. These young individuals, selected with the help of the municipality, will be equipped to become local relays, supporting communal initiatives and contributing to social cohesion. The training will cover topics such as designing, organizing, and securing educational leisure activities.
According to Isabelle Anoh, Director General of Leisure, the program aims to make leisure a tool for education, social cohesion, and personal growth. She emphasized that access to leisure is a fundamental right and a vector of citizenship, quoting Minister of Tourism and Leisure, Siandou Fofana. The program seeks to bring public action closer to the population and promote local skills in leisure, tourism, and culture.
The three-day program will include theoretical training, practical workshops, and simulations. Participants will learn about designing, organizing, and securing educational leisure activities. Mamadou Kéita, Director of Leisure Parks and Digital Games, stated that this pilot operation will help create a local pool of animators, strengthen their sense of responsibility, and enrich the commune's leisure offer.
The JC-Loisir initiative is part of Côte d'Ivoire's national leisure policy, aiming to reduce territorial disparities in access to leisure and promote a reproducible model in other communes. The program builds on previous initiatives, such as the "Vacances et détente" program and the creation of 60 tourism and leisure clubs, which have over 32,500 student members.
The young volunteers will be supervised by regional and departmental directors of the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure, in collaboration with municipalities. They will also be sensitized to employment, self-employment, and income-generating activities in the leisure, tourism, and culture sectors. This will enable them to become sustainable relays for communal initiatives.
The Communal Leisure Days will contribute to the emergence of local skills in leisure, tourism, and culture, ultimately promoting social cohesion and community development. The program's success could lead to its replication in other communes, enhancing access to leisure activities for Côte d'Ivoire's population.
Key points
- The program aims to train 51 young volunteers in sociocultural animation techniques.
- The initiative seeks to promote educational, accessible, and community-based leisure activities.
- The program is a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure and the Dimbokro municipality.
