The First Lady, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, presided over the inauguration ceremony of the Dominique Ouattara Girls’ Excellence High School and the celebration of Mother’s Day, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Sinématiali. We bring you the full text of her speech at this ceremony, which was attended by several prominent personalities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very happy to be with you this morning, both for the inauguration of the Sinématiali Excellence High School and for the celebration of Mother’s Day with my sisters from the Poro region.

First of all, I would like to convey to all of you the warm greetings of my dear husband, my darling, President Alassane Ouattara.
He asked me to wish a very happy celebration to all the mothers present here, as well as to his daughters at the Dominique Ouattara High School in Sinématiali, and also to express to you all the affection he has for you.

I would next like to acknowledge the presence of my younger brother Mr. Adama Bictogo, President of the National Assembly, and my sister Mrs. Kandia Camara, President of the Senate; as well as that of Mr. Eugène Aka Aouélé, President of the CESEC, whom I sincerely thank for being with us today.
I also acknowledge Mr. Gilbert Kafana Koné, High Representative of the President of the Republic and son of the region, whom I thank for joining us for this important ceremony with his lovely wife.
I also greet my dear brother-in-law, Mr. Téné Birahima Ouattara, Minister of State, Minister of Defense and President of the Tchologo Regional Council, as well as his lovely wife Amy, both of whom I thank for making the trip for the occasion.

My greetings also go to Mr. Fidèle Sarassoro, President of the Poro Regional Council and son of Sinématiali. I warmly congratulate him for the magnificent Excellence High School being offered today to our people. Thank you also, dear Fidèle, for your personal involvement in the success of this ceremony and for your much-appreciated hospitality.
I also acknowledge my sister, Mrs. Mariatou Koné, Minister of National Education and Literacy, whom I congratulate for her commitment and remarkable work, especially for this magnificent Excellence High School. Thank you also dear Mariatou for your kind words towards me.

I also acknowledge all my brothers and sisters, Ministers and Governors, and more specifically my little sister, Mrs. Nassénéba Touré, Minister of Women, Family and Children, whom I thank for her kind words about me.
I also wholeheartedly greet my niece Masséré Touré Koné, Secretary General of the Presidency, accompanied by her husband, Minister Bruno Koné, as well as my dear sister-in-law Sita Keïta, whom I thank for her affectionate presence.

My warm greetings also go to all our sisters, the Wives of Institution Presidents and Ministers, who are with us this morning, and whom I thank for their loyalty and affection.
I now extend my greetings and thanks to the Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as their wives from the group of Ambassadresses led by Mrs. Suhad Belliard, and I thank them for their affectionate presence and appreciated support.

I also want to greet all the Prefectural, Administrative, and Political Authorities of the region, who came to celebrate with all the mothers, and more particularly the Prefect of the Poro region and the Prefect of the Sinématiali Department, whom I thank for their involvement in the success of this ceremony.
Thank you also to all our elected officials from the Savanes Autonomous District, who have mobilized to offer us such a warm welcome.
I also greet all the local executives, and more particularly:

• Mr. President Tiémoko Yadé Coulibaly, Chief of the Sinématiali canton, as well as the Chief of the Korhogo canton, Mr. Issa Coulibaly,

• Dean Hyacinthe Sarassoro, longtime friend of the President of the Republic, and his lovely wife,

• My little sister Nadine Sangaré, Director of the Children of Africa Foundation, who is doing a remarkable job. I want to tell everyone here that Nadine is wonderful. I love her especially and she is like a little sister to me. We are always together. Well done Nadine, you’re doing a great job!

• Jean-Baptiste Soro, loyal collaborator of the President of the Republic. Loyal among the loyal. Thank you Jean-Baptiste for your affection and everything you do for the President of the Republic, my dear husband.

• Aissatou Cissé, Head of Education at the Children of Africa Foundation, who is very committed to our children and who is also from Sinématiali,

• As well as all the sons and daughters of the region who came in great numbers to welcome us, especially the members of the organizing committee led by Mr. René Yédéti.

My greetings now go to our distinguished traditional leaders, as well as to our religious leaders who are with us this morning. Thank you for your prayers and blessings, which always accompany us.
Thanks also to the entire press that came out to Sinématiali with us this morning.
Finally, I extend my sincere greetings to all the mothers who came out in large numbers this morning to share this moment with us. Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us, for your original performances and for the wonderful gifts I received.
Thanks also to all the people of Sinématiali for their presence and affection.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you know, girls’ education and schooling are two pillars of sustainable development that are particularly close to my heart. That is why the inauguration today of this magnificent Excellence High School in Sinématiali brings me such joy.
Modern, well-equipped and with a boarding school, this establishment embodies our shared desire to promote quality education accessible to all.

This beautiful project, driven by the vision of my dear husband, the President of the Republic, perfectly aligns with my commitment to promoting academic excellence and equal opportunities.
And I would like, on the occasion of the construction of this school, to congratulate Mr. Amoudé Yacine, whom I ask you to applaud loudly, along with his company, which did a very good job.
Through my Children of Africa Foundation, I have always worked to ensure that every child, especially young girls, has the opportunity to learn and succeed in their studies. It is to serve this objective that we have engaged in many actions in the education sector over the past 25 years.

Among our major achievements, for example, we built and inaugurated in the 2000s the Girls’ High School of Kong, which later became the Mixed Excellence High School of Kong.

We also built in 2020 the Children of Africa Excellence School Complex in Abobo, with the same desire to offer brilliant students the opportunity to have a high-level academic path.

I am therefore particularly happy that this establishment has come to life and that it serves to spread knowledge and learning throughout our country.
This high school is more than just a school — it is a lever of hope and social advancement for young students, all of whom are equally deserving.

And I would like, in this regard, to congratulate the President of the Republic for his forward-looking vision and his strong social commitment.

I would also like to thank my younger brother Fidèle Sarassoro, Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic, for his commitment to the people and his remarkable leadership in the Poro region.
Dear Fidèle, you wished for this Excellence High School to bear my name, which I accepted with great pleasure. And it was an opportunity for me to come visit you in Sinématiali.

My warm congratulations go to Mrs. Mariétou Koné, Minister of National Education and Literacy, who has supported the implementation of this project for the benefit of our children and our communities.

I also greet my dear goddaughters, the boarding students of the High School, and encourage them to stay on the path of Excellence throughout their studies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Sisters,

This inauguration is also an opportunity for me to celebrate Mother’s Day in the town of Sinématiali, in order to bond with my sisters and honor them.

Every time I travel to a region of our country, I am deeply touched by the strength, courage, and determination of my sisters.
We women are the beating heart of our families, the educators of our children, and the pillars of our society. Our role is essential to social balance, and we must be proud of it!

Through this celebration, I want to acknowledge your irreplaceable role in the development of Côte d’Ivoire. You are mothers, but also tireless workers, bold entrepreneurs, women of conviction and action.
You deserve all the recognition, affection, and support you receive on this occasion each year from your families and loved ones.

My dear sisters,
My dear daughters,

It is to show you my constant support and trust that since 2012, I have established the Support Fund for Women of Côte d’Ivoire (FAFCI), with the support of my dear husband, President Alassane Ouattara, to enable our sisters across Côte d’Ivoire to develop their own income-generating activities.
Over the years, the FAFCI has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of women in our country, enabling them to become entrepreneurs and autonomous women.

And today again, I reaffirm my trust in you, my sisters, and in your ability to make your homes and communities prosper, by granting an additional allocation of 500 million CFA francs from the FAFCI for the Poro region.
This additional envelope brings the total to 3 billion CFA francs for the region, to allow more women to access funding for their activities.

I also brought you food and non-food donations worth 500 million CFA francs, as well as 5,000 sets of traditional cloth, as previously mentioned. I know you will make good use of them.

My dear sisters,
My dear daughters,

On this festive day for all our mothers and daughters of Sinématiali, I would like to conclude by reiterating all my affection and pride.
I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day surrounded by your families and loved ones.