Feature: Chad's House of Women, constructed by China, inaugurated

Chadian women for the first time marked this year's National Women's Week and the International Women's Day at the House of Women, an architectural complex constructed in N'Djamena by China.

"A few years ago, it was impossible for Chadian women to meet at an ideal place to discuss their issues, but today their dream has become a reality," Chad's First Lady Hinda Deby Itno said on Sunday when she inaugurated the building in the company of China's ambassador to the country Hu Zhiqiang.

The First Lady thanked China for the donation which will support women who form 52 percent of Chad's population that is estimated to be 11 million U.S. dollars.

The construction of Chad's House of Women began in December 2013 and was completed in June 2014 at a total cost of 12 million U.S. dollars that was provided by China.

The house which has been christened National Women Training Center was built on a radius of 4,100 square meters and it is comprised of a conference room, ten professional halls, three meeting halls, 16 offices, a restaurant, a gym, a volleyball court and other annexes.

The 500-seater conference room which is equipped with modern communication equipments was used during Chad's National Women's Week.

"The construction standards and the equipments met the required standards when compared with similar projects," said Kang Jian, the director general of China Shandong International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group Ltd which carried out the construction.

The Chinese ambassador said his country will continue helping Chadian women by promoting exchanges between Chinese and Chadian women because, he affirmed, "no country can develop without women. "

The House of Women is just one among many other infrastructure projects that have been accomplished under the auspices of Sino- Chad cooperation.

Since the restoration of their diplomatic relations on Aug. 6, 2006, Chad and China have accomplished numerous projects that boost the development of this Central African nation.

Some of the projects include the completion of Djarmaya refinery, some 60 km north of N'Djamena, and which has enabled Chad to become self-reliant in petroleum.

At the same time, Chad has been using a National Assembly constructed several years ago by China at a cost of 28 million U.S. dollars.

In the Chadian capital, half a dozen viaducts are under construction by China and upon completion, they will help to ease traffic jams which had become a headache for the municipal authorities.

All these infrastructure projects across the country have been accomplished using Chadian cement that is obtained from a cement factory constructed several years ago by China in the southern parts of the country.

Chad and China continue to enjoy fruitful cooperation in sectors such as health, culture, communication and education.

"China and Chad are both developing countries. The social development and well-being of our populations remains a major preoccupation of our both governments," Hu concluded. Endi