Abidjan , August 10, 2008 -- Since 2004, the World Bank, the Cities Alliance, and the Government of Norway have been holding an international essay competition that provides an opportunity to young people from all over the world to write on development topics. The theme of the 2008 competition was “What Can You do to Shape the City of Your Dreams?” One of the best essays was written by Ivorian, Hermann Hokou, a student in the Masters of Law program at the Catholic University of West Africa [l’Université Catholique de l’Afrique de l’Ouest UCAO] in Abidjan. Hokou felt honored to have been selected as one of the eight finalists. Here he speaks about his paper, “The Abidjan of My dreams.” Abidjan , a city of colors, of friends, but also of challenges. The writer believes that there must be solidarity with others in order to have any real chance at a better life and harmonious development. 
| Essay finalist Hermann Hokou |
What is your essay about and what are the salient points? HH: It is about my daily hopes and dreams for a city that I love dearly. The essay is entitled “The Abidjan of my dreams!” and is divided into several sections. The first, ‘The megacity of a thousand colors,’ presents the city and its contrasts; the second, ‘Not all dreams are pipe dreams,’ proposes solutions and concrete initiatives as required by the competition; and finally, the third section ‘When our dreams become reality,’ describes the activities of two NGOs with which I am affiliated. So, what is this Abidjan of your dreams? HH: Abidjan is a large city with tremendous potential to become more modern. It has the advantage of its young age, its geographical location, its water bodies, etc. But first of all we must work to improve the people’s living conditions by reducing poverty, because there is a large segment of the population that does not have the bare minimum to ensure a decent existence. There are many slums. To create the Abidjan of my dreams, we must also fight against illiteracy and provide access to social infrastructures such as water, sanitation, and health care. I also provide examples of specific acts of solidarity that we all can perform in order to improve the daily existence of the inhabitants. One specific example: some of my schoolmates and I teach literacy classes for free to children in the slums. Other socioprofessional groups can do something similar—nurses and doctors could provide free consultations. What drew the jury’s attention to your essay? HH: I couldn’t say, but I think that perhaps it was the mix of idealism and pragmatism. My paper is packed with both crazy ideas and concrete initiatives promoted and implemented by young people. How did you hear about the competition? 
| Essay finalist Hermann Hokou |
HH: It was at the European Commission’s Documentation Center in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where I was doing some research. I had been there for about two hours; when just as I was about to leave, I noticed a large poster right in front of me. It seemed to have jumped off the wall. It was unbelievable, but I had previously thought about the theme of the competition, creating another city of Abidjan in my head, and voilà ! Someone was asking me how I would shape the city of my dreams! You were in Cape Town, South Africa for the finals of this competition. What were your impressions and what did you take away from the competition? HH: In Cape Town there were eight finalists. The first prize went to Pal Saptarshi from India, the second prize to Mengting Wang from China, and the third prize to Maria Rodriguez from Colombia. HH: The others, including me, tied for fourth place. They are Jonah Obajeun from Nigeria, Marsha Nugroho from Indonesia, Ashis Himali from Nepal, Sarah Abreu from Brazil, and me. Even though I did not get one of the top spots, I was very proud to have been one of the eight finalists out of over two thousand participants. Furthermore, at the finals, we had the opportunity to discuss development issues with several officials of the World Bank and other institutions. It was a great joy to have been an ambassador for my country for a few days. I would like to thank the World Bank and all the partners in this competition; it is a laudable initiative that should continue. For me, Cape Town was an incentive to continue writing, but above all to continue working harder to create the Abidjan of my dreams. 
| Essay contest finalists |
Prospects and hopes after the competition? HH: I hope that youth initiatives will be increasingly encouraged by the authorities, and that these activities, such as those of the Comoé and Niéré cultural centers to which I belong, will gain ground with young people who will give their time generously to teach illiterate children from the slums of Abidjan to read and write. The post-crisis reconstruction of Côte d’Ivoire should not be limited to constructing buildings of glass and steel. We must also, and perhaps first of all, develop new values like cooperation and solidarity for harmonious development.  Interview conducted by Tongrongou Agouna Grace |
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