In order to encourage the participatory management of populations living near national parks and reserves in the protection of Protected Areas, the Foundation for Parks and Reserves of Côte d’Ivoire (FPRCI) decided to provide during the year 2020, additional financial support for the actions of the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves (OIPR).

In fact, since 2016, the OIPR has instituted the “Green Prize” competition which puts the villages bordering each Protected Area in competition, in order to better motivate them to protect parks and reserves. This prize is intended to reward:
• the three best local schoolchildren in the park,
• the three best Village Conservation and Development Associations (VCDA) in the park,
• the three best eco-citizen villages bordering the park.
In view of the enthusiasm generated by the “Green Prize” among the populations, the FPRCI decided to provide financial support for this initiative by establishing the “Special Prize of the Foundation for Conservation”. For the 2020 financial year, this prize is endowed with an amount of two million five hundred thousand (2,500,000) F CFA for the five Intervention Zones Directorates of the OIPR. Thus, for the South Zone Management, the special prize was awarded to the NGO “Humanitarian Action Les Benjamins”. This NGO was chosen for its involvement in the conservation and protection actions of the Azagny National Park.

The award ceremony took place on August 13, 2020 in Irobo (Grand – Lahou) under the chairmanship of the Prefect of Grand – Lahou. After presenting the award to Mr. Simon MONTCHO, President of the NGO Action Humanitaire les Benjamin, Dr. N’golo FANNY, Executive Director of FPRCI, congratulated and encouraged the local populations for their support for the OIPR in the protection of the Azagny National Park.