Chinese Government provides RMB 10 million grant for Primary School Construction Project

Project narrative

In 2006, at a FOCAC summit, the Chinese Government pledged to fund primary school construction in the Central African Republic (CAR). Then, on August 17, 2007, the Chinese Government and the Government of CAR signed an RMB 10 million grant agreement for a Primary School Construction Project. This project supported the construction of two primary schools: one in the town of Bimbo (on the outskirts of Bangui) and one in the town of Bégoua (17 km north of Bangui on the road to Boali at Pk 15. Tianjin Engineering & Construction Corporation and China National Complete Plant Import Export Corporation (Complant) were the contractors responsible for implementation. A foundation laying ceremony for the primary school in Bégoua (also known as Gbaloko School, Bangui Central Primary School, l’Ecole Gbaloko, Ecole d’Amitié Chine-Centrafrique, and Ecole d'amitié des chinois) took place on December 31, 2007. Then, on January 9, 2008, Complant signed a construction contract. The primary school in Bégoua was officially completed and handed over to the local authorities on October 13, 2009. It consists of 6 classrooms, a reading room, a teacher's office, a principal's office and some ancillary facilities for up to 300 students. It was later repaired in 2017 with Chinese government assistance (see #55715). A formal handover ceremony for the primary school in Bimbo took place on April 8, 2009.