Since 2023, the IECD has been developing its activities in the Central African Republic with the launch of the IPAJ “Initiative Pour l’Autonomisation de la Jeunesse” project.

This 5-year project is financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Union (EU).

The aim of the IPAJ project is to contribute to the empowerment and reduction of inequalities between women and men through access to training and improved socio-professional integration, thereby helping to strengthen the local economic fabric in Bangui and the surrounding area.

It focuses on three main areas of action: education, vocational training and support for entrepreneurship.

The project is aimed primarily at young people aged between 18 and 30 who have dropped out of school, as well as young people enrolled in vocational training in the training centres supported by the IECD. It will also provide support for very small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bangui, with priority given to the sectors supported by the project, as well as support for market garden producers in Bangui and the surrounding area.