(BOLLORE) - As part of its youth support programme, Owendo Container Terminal (OCT) is covering the healthcare costs of some 100 Gabonese children aged 7 to 18 under the care of the Arc en Ciel organisation.

OCT and Arc en Ciel signed a partnership agreement on 20 September 2019. Under the agreement, OCT provides the NGO with a doctor responsible for the daily healthcare of the children at the Arc en Ciel centre. “We make consultations twice a week and carry out vaccination campaigns for numerous young people, who benefit from top-quality healthcare,” says François André Diouf, the doctor responsible for the medical care of the children at Arc en Ciel.

OCT, the operator of the container terminal at the Port of Owendo in Gabon, also finances all the medical costs (consultations, hospitalisations and medicine) of the young people, who come from disadvantaged communities.

“Our organisation, Arc en Ciel, provides care for some 100 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We are delighted to have received Owendo Container Terminal’s support for the medical care of over 100 children. We ensure their education and their family and occupational reintegration,” says Sister Julienne Eyeya, Manager of the Arc en Ciel organisation.

The partnership agreement is part of the solidarity initiatives rolled out by OCT. “We participate in the efforts to help young people by contributing to their empowerment. OCT also supports initiatives in education, occupational training and social integration. We will be pursuing these efforts,” says Laurent Goutard, Managing Director of Owendo Container Terminal.

About Owendo Container Terminal

Owendo Container Terminal (OCT) is the operator of the container terminal of the Port of Owendo in Gabon. A key player in the country’s supply chain, OCT employs nearly 300 Gabonese nationals and leads a subcontracting policy that generates 1,000 indirect jobs. OCT also implements initiatives for local populations in partnership with NGOs. For example, it assists young people suffering from HIV in their education, supports the empowerment of young people and raises awareness of environmental protection.

About Arc en Ciel

Arc en Ciel is a Gabonese not-for-profit organisation. It takes care of some 100 children in major difficulty, working to restore their dignity. It contributes to the protection of children and the fight against the trafficking of vulnerable children. Founded in 1994, Arc en Ciel is also contributing to the implementation of a system to protect the fundamental rights of vulnerable children in Gabon through concrete actions aimed at eradicating all forms of violence against children.