PAAF strengthens ethics and good governance to transform education in Kasai Central

The Girls' Learning and Empowerment Project (PAAF) organized a refresher workshop for provincial trainers on May 24 and 25, 2025. The event, held in Luiza in the Kasaï Central 2 educational province, aimed to instill a culture of ethics, accountability, and transparency within the education sector, while strengthening the capacity of education staff on the complaints management mechanism. The workshop brought together a wide range of stakeholders. The first day, May 24, was dedicated to members of the provincial committee. The following day, officials and staff from selected provincial offices—including representatives of civil society, private school operators, union members, as well as provincial and sub-provincial managers of charter schools—took part in the discussions. A commitment to free education and accountability. Trésor Kapend, Provincial Director of Kasaï Central 2, opened the workshop by commending the commitment of the Minister of State, Minister of EDU-N.C., to ensuring the sustainability of free public primary education. He emphasized the importance of this meeting in promoting more ethical and transparent management of public affairs, particularly in the field of education.

“This meeting is part of a shared commitment to promoting a culture of ethics, accountability, and transparency in the management of public affairs, particularly in the sensitive field of education,” he stated, highlighting the initiative’s relevance.

From gender-based violence to complaint management: a strengthened mechanism Arthur Mbuyi, a specialist in planning, monitoring, and evaluation at PAAF, outlined the workshop’s objectives, notably providing an update on issues related to gender-based violence (GBV). He noted that the Perse project had already laid the groundwork by establishing complaint management teams in primary schools. PAAF, which focuses on the secondary school sector, aims to expand these initiatives and introduce innovations to the existing mechanism.

“The goal was to explain to participants the new project that will take over the secondary school sector—that is, the PAAF—including its objectives, as well as the innovations being introduced to the complaint management mechanism already in place at the primary level, so that this can be rolled out to secondary schools in Kasaï Central Province,” explained A. Mbuyi.

In addition, he noted that this mission, which began in Kasaï Central 2, would continue in Kasaï Central 1 with the same themes. Christelle Nsambu, Head of the Allô École Division at the Directorate of Communication Management (DGC), concluded the presentations by discussing in detail Code 22, the complaint management mechanism, the conduct of public officials, and the commitment to Code 22. The participants, visibly satisfied with the information received, expressed their firm intention to share this knowledge within their respective communities. This initiative is expected to contribute significantly to better management of educational affairs and a culture of increased accountability within the province of Kasaï Central. By Shomba Marie, Mboma Glodi & Malenga Dorcial