Theatre, culture and digital technology to prevent school dropout in Libreville

In the municipalities of Libreville, Owendo, Ntoum and Akanda, Schools are facing a worrying increase in violence, harassment and drug use. These phenomena persist despite existing security measures and contribute to school dropout rates. Young girls are particularly affected, particularly due to early pregnancies and a lack of appropriate support. Added to these difficulties is the’The lack of educational and cultural spaces in many establishments, such as functional libraries or multimedia rooms, is a problem.. The students therefore have a limited access to culture, information and digital resources, and few safe places outside of school hourss. Local educational and community actors are mobilizing, but their actions remain sporadic and lack resources.

The RIFA association and the Libreville North district, attached to the Ministry of National Education, approached Watoo Siita, association from Rennes specializing in forum theatre. In In May 2025, a first phase enabled the actors of RIFA to be trained in this method., and then to conduct performances in several establishments. These sessions gave students a voice and brought to light a strong need, expressed by both young people and supervisors, for places of learning and cultural openness within schools. It is to meet this need that phase 2 of the project was born, mobilizing the partner institutions, RIFA and Watoo Siita.