Gabon: help for the people of Mounana

Reducing the hardship of labor for women

To get to the plantation fields where crops (cassava, peanuts, etc.) that feed nearly 3,000 people are grown, women from the village of Mounana had to cross marshes that were nearly impassable.

Pathways were created to make the journey less strenuous and considerably reduce how far they must travel (40%). Today the distance is just 6-8 kilometers.

A facelift for schools

Nine schools in Mounana accommodate nearly 2,000 children. Generally speaking, these schools lack furniture, textbooks and—for the most part—water and electricity. A renovation program was put in place with local authorities.

Local facilities

When mining activities ended in 1999, AREVA donated a hospital that the company had financed to the Gabon government. In 2005, maintenance work began to support operations at the hospital and 4 medical clinics in the surrounding area. Repairing the clinics will reduce how far villagers must travel to receive health care.

In 2006-2007, AREVA supported the reopening of the Mounana hospital’s maternity and pediatrics units. The new buildings saw:

• the replacement of used medical equipment and air conditioners,
• the furnishing of treatment rooms,
• the creation of outside access for patients.

All of these activities were subject to invitations to tender that favored local companies as a way of creating jobs in the region.