Espace Opoko releases 2025 activity report
Espace Opoko, an NGO active for more than a decade in supporting Indigenous children’s schooling in the Republic of the Congo, has published its 2025 activity report. Alongside the review, the organization is calling for new partnerships to help maintain momentum and prepare its 2026 program.
A long-term vision: from primary school to jobs
The NGO says its mission is not limited to getting children enrolled. Espace Opoko aims to equip Indigenous students with tools to defend their rights and to keep supporting them from primary school through university, with the longer-term goal of stable professional integration.
Averty Ndzoyi, the NGO’s president, pointed to a landmark moment in 2025: a student supported by the program spoke at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. For the organization, this example illustrates how education can strengthen individual paths and also amplify youth voices in decision-making spaces.
Program expansion across Lekoumou, Nkeni-Alima and Sangha
According to the report, 2025 was marked by a significant geographic expansion. Around 30 new Indigenous communities joined the program in the departments of Lekoumou, Nkeni-Alima and Sangha.
With these additions, Espace Opoko said the number of children receiving support rose from 1,052 to 1,652. The NGO presents this increase as evidence of growing demand and of the importance of coordinated action among communities, institutions and partners.
Urban schooling support in Mokeko, Sibiti and Brazzaville
Espace Opoko also reported that 52 students were moved to urban centers to continue their schooling, with placements in Mokeko, Sibiti and Brazzaville. The organization said it provided full support, including tuition, housing, nutrition, health care and social follow-up.
For families in remote areas, this model is described as a practical answer to distance and access challenges, while keeping students on a structured pathway toward national exams and, later, higher education opportunities.
Beyond classrooms: environmental education and culture
The NGO stresses a broader approach that combines schooling with social and community-focused actions. In 2025, its environmental education department carried out 80 awareness campaigns in Brazzaville on biodiversity and recycling.
Espace Opoko also cited a cultural exchange project with the French organization “La douche du lézard,” bringing together artists and Indigenous communities in the Zanaga district. The NGO presents this as a way to value cultures while creating learning moments outside formal classrooms.
Health, hygiene and student follow-up in 2025
Alongside education and culture, Espace Opoko says it conducted body-hygiene campaigns targeting women and girls, organized supervised study sessions for exam-year classes, and maintained individualized follow-up for each child in the program.
The organization describes these activities as part of a support chain designed to reduce school dropouts and help students stay focused, particularly during key transition years and national exam preparation.
Exam results: primary certificate, BEPC and baccalauréat
In academic performance, the NGO reported 15 admissions out of 18 candidates for the primary school certificate, including a 100% pass rate in Lekoumou. For the BEPC, it reported 36 admissions out of 76 candidates.
For the baccalauréat, Espace Opoko reported 14 admissions out of 19 candidates. It also said two students are preparing to defend their bachelor’s degrees in agronomy and forestry, while one student is in her third year of economics studies.
‘Ô Yika’ program ends with a January 30 restitution event
The report also highlights the “Ô Yika” program, financed by the Embassy of France, which is reaching its end after work to strengthen access to education and hygiene in 19 communities in Lekoumou.
Espace Opoko announced a restitution ceremony scheduled for January 30 at the Institut français du Congo. The organization presents the event as a chance to share lessons learned and discuss the next steps with stakeholders.
2026 plans: ‘empowerment year’ amid tighter funding
Looking ahead, Espace Opoko said it is entering 2026 with reduced funding, even as it labels the coming year the “year of empowerment.” In response, the NGO plans to reinforce practical skills and income-generating pathways alongside schooling.
Planned vocational training includes sewing, agriculture and fishing, to be hosted at the Case du peuple in Bambama. The NGO also plans to launch a production unit for school uniforms made by Indigenous families, linking social support with local economic activity.
Call for partnerships with government and donors
To sustain its program and extend it nationwide, Espace Opoko is calling on the Congolese government, NGOs, donors and diplomatic representations to consolidate and expand support to all Indigenous communities in the country.
Averty Ndzoyi framed the appeal in a simple message aimed at mobilizing broad backing: “Educating one child is educating an entire country,” he said. For the NGO, the 2025 results are both a progress report and a starting point for renewed collaboration in 2026.