Tony Mwaba makes 60,000 benches available for a first phase of distribution in the provinces to cope with the overcrowding.

As part of the ongoing "No School Without Desks" campaign, the Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, visited three workshops on Thursday, January 19, 2023, where 60,000 desks are being manufactured for the first batch destined for six provinces across the country, at a rate of 10,000 desks per province. These workshops are located on 2nd, 11th, and 15th Streets, respectively, in the Limeté Industriel district.

At the conclusion of his visit, which allowed him to tour three bench manufacturing sites, Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi expressed satisfaction with the work accomplished, noting that it effectively addresses the issue of overcrowded classrooms—one of the unintended consequences of free primary education.

"These desks are intended for schools in need, to ensure that children can study in good conditions," stated the head of the EPST.

Professor Tony Mwaba noted that the contract with suppliers was signed as part of the "No School Without Desks" campaign, following instructions from the Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, and under the coordination of the Prime Minister—head of the central government—through his ministry and the Directorate of School Infrastructure. He also noted that for other provinces, the desks have already been shipped to their destinations, and the remaining phase is distribution.

"We will coordinate with the provincial directors, based on the lists of schools in need, to ensure these desks reach the beneficiaries," the minister said.

For the record, it was the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) that made its workshops available to the Congolese government for the manufacture of high-quality benches, for which the wood purchased on the local market can have a lifespan of over 50 years. It should also be noted that, with 100% funding from the Congolese government, the Catholic Church entrusted this bench-making work to three organizations that work in perfect collaboration: the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, Caritas Idiofa, and the non-profit organization Adecco.

The visit was led by Reverend Sister Elisabeth Gitoka, who was accompanied by architects from the three organizations. The sister explained to Professor Tony Mwaba that the wood, purchased on the local market, prioritizes quality in terms of durability. She informed the minister that this project is supervised by CENCO, which is firmly committed to the Head of State’s vision through its program of free primary education, particularly regarding the quality of students’ learning conditions.

According to architect Armel Djamba, the project supervisor, the project is currently more than 70% complete, with many of the desks already shipped to the provinces; we are only waiting for the government to designate the beneficiary schools for distribution.

Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi expressed special thanks to CENCO for providing the workshops that manufacture these desks. He believes this is also a way to support free primary education.

Christian BELLA