International Day of the Girl: CVEF and ZOKO GROUP Open Doors to Opportunity for Young Congolese Girls
Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo | 15 October 2026
Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Leaders
What does it take for a young girl to imagine herself as a future entrepreneur, business leader or professional? Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as an open day.
To mark the International Day of the Girl, CVEF, in partnership with ZOKO GROUP, organised a special company open day for ten high-achieving schoolgirls from CEG Raymond Moutou, a public school in Pointe-Noire.
Held on 15 October 2026 at ZOKO GROUP's offices, the initiative offered the girls an opportunity to step beyond their familiar classroom environment and discover the world of business firsthand.
For CVEF, the event reflected a simple but powerful belief: education should not only prepare children for exams; it should also help them discover what is possible for their futures.
From the Classroom to the Workplace
For many young people in Congo, the world of business can feel distant from everyday school life. They may hear about entrepreneurs, managers and business professionals without having the opportunity to meet them or experience a professional environment. Through this open day, these girls were introduced to a business setting where they could explore new perspectives and begin connecting their education with future career possibilities. The initiative was designed around three objectives:
Exposure: Introduce girls to a professional environment and broaden their understanding of career opportunities.
Inspiration: Encourage them to develop confidence in their abilities and ambitions.
Empowerment: Reinforce the importance of education as a foundation for personal and professional success.
By celebrating academic achievement with a real-world experience, CVEF and ZOKO GROUP sought to show these pupils that their commitment to learning can open doors well beyond the classroom.
Why the International Day of the Girl Matters
The International Day of the Girl, observed globally on 11 October, is an opportunity to recognise the potential of girls everywhere and reaffirm the importance of creating environments in which they can learn, develop and pursue their ambitions.
At CVEF, we believe that empowering girls requires more than encouragement alone. It requires practical opportunities to discover new possibilities, develop confidence and connect with people and organisations that can inspire them. A visit to a business may appear to be a small intervention. Yet experiences like these can help young people imagine futures they may never previously have considered. When girls can see the opportunities available to them, their ambitions can grow.
And when their ambitions grow, so does the potential of their communities.
ZOKO GROUP: A Congolese Business Investing in the Next Generation
Behind every meaningful community initiative is a willingness to act.
For this event, ZOKO GROUP demonstrated how the private sector can play a direct and meaningful role in supporting education and youth development in Congo-Brazzaville.
Founded by Congolese entrepreneur Augustin Rochnell Camilo ZOKO, ZOKO GROUP is a diversified business with activities spanning tourism, hospitality, logistics, energy, agribusiness and business consulting. Through its different businesses, the group represents an example of Congolese entrepreneurship: building local enterprises, creating economic opportunities and demonstrating what can be achieved through ambition, determination and investment in the country.
By opening its doors to ten young schoolgirls, ZOKO GROUP extended that entrepreneurial vision beyond its commercial activities. The initiative provided an opportunity to share the world of business with the next generation, while demonstrating that a company's contribution to society can extend beyond the products and services it delivers.
For ZOKO GROUP, this partnership represents a tangible expression of corporate social responsibility: connecting business success with the development of future talent.
For the participating girls, it was an opportunity to discover a Congolese company building its own future and to begin imagining how they might one day contribute to that future themselves.
CVEF warmly thanks ZOKO GROUP, its leadership and its team for their hospitality, openness and commitment to this initiative.
Discover ZOKO GROUP: To learn more about the group, its entrepreneurial journey and its diverse business activities, visit www.rochzoko.fr.
Recognising Excellence at CEG Raymond Moutou
The ten participating girls were selected from among the school's highest-achieving pupils.
Their participation recognised their commitment to education while providing an experience intended to encourage continued academic effort and ambition. CEG Raymond Moutou is also part of CVEF's wider efforts to improve educational opportunities in Pointe-Noire.
Through our Seats4Success initiative, CVEF has supported the school with a donation of 100 tables-bancs (school desks and benches), helping to improve the learning environment for its pupils.
These initiatives reflect two complementary dimensions of our mission.
Our Ambition: More Opportunities for More Girls
For CVEF, the visit to ZOKO GROUP is not simply an event to celebrate. It is an example of the kind of opportunity we want to make increasingly accessible to young people across Congo-Brazzaville.
Our ambition is to build lasting relationships with businesses and institutions willing to contribute to the development of the next generation. We want more girls to discover professional environments, meet inspiring individuals and gain the confidence to pursue their ambitions. Because the future of Congo will be shaped not only by the opportunities available today, but also by the dreams we encourage in its children.
Are you a business operating in Congo-Brazzaville?
You do not need to launch a large-scale programme to make a meaningful difference.
Opening your workplace to a group of pupils, introducing them to your teams or sharing your professional experience can become an important moment in a young person's educational journey.
CVEF invites companies of all sizes to partner with us in creating more opportunities for young people.
Together, we can help connect education with ambition, talent with opportunity, and the leaders of today with those of tomorrow.
Become a CVEF corporate partner: hello@cv-ef.org
Learn more about our work: www.cv-ef.org
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