The verdict in three sentences
If you are aiming for a secretary, assistant or administrative officer job in Ziguinchor, Word is still the tool you will be asked to use from day one. Kolonell Academy's level 2 Professional Word course costs 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR / 83 USD) for 10 hours, works on a phone or a computer, and free Word for the web is enough for most exercises. Module 3 on styles and automatic tables of contents is worth the price on its own, because it is what separates a patched-together file from a presentable NGO report.
Why Word still matters so much in Ziguinchor
In Casamance, many office jobs sit in NGOs, donor-funded projects, firms, private schools and administrative services. They all produce the same things: letters, meeting minutes, quarterly activity reports, CVs for recruitment. A 20-page report whose page numbers jump or whose contents page is typed by hand makes a poor impression on a project coordinator.
The course Professional Word: CVs, reports and documents that inspire trust is designed for assistants, secretaries, administrative staff, final-year students and job seekers. It is taught in French and made of five modules of written lessons, with a PDF handout and a quiz per module.
| Module | What you learn | What you produce |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Solid Word foundations (free preview) | Paragraphs, indents, tabs, PDF export | Clean documents, no spaces to align |
| 2. Professional page layout | Margins, headers, footers, page numbers, section breaks | Your letterhead and standard letter (.dotx) |
| 3. Styles, headings and table of contents | Styles, numbered headings, navigation pane, captions, cross-references | A long document that updates itself |
| 4. Images, tables and visuals | Image wrapping, tables with repeated headers, cover page, appendices | Pages that no longer break |
| 5. CVs, letters and professional reports | A CV that passes screening, cover letter, official letter, minutes | Your professional Word portfolio (final project) |
Module 3 and the 8 to 12 page report
For a future secretarial role, the heart of the course is module 3, "Styles, headings and table of contents". You learn to apply heading styles instead of bolding text by hand, to number sections automatically (1, 1.1, 1.2), to move through a long document with the navigation pane, then to generate a table of contents, table captions and cross-references that update in one click.
Everything leads to the final project: a structured 8 to 12 page report with a cover page, an automatic table of contents, captioned tables and appendices. You also leave with a letterhead including logo, contact details and legal mentions (NINEA, RCCM), an official letter saved as a template, a one or two page CV exported to PDF and a cover letter. These are reusable files you can show in an interview.
Prerequisites: be comfortable with Windows, the keyboard and folders (or have taken level 1 of the track), know how to save a file, and have access to Word (Microsoft 365, Office 2019 or later, or free Word for the web). Some advanced features, such as .dotx templates or complex section breaks, are more complete in the desktop app: each lesson gives the alternative.
How the cost compares with other options in Casamance
| Option | Price (2026 order of magnitude) | Format | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolonell Academy, level 2 Word | 50,000 FCFA (76 EUR) | 10 h online, self-paced | Written lessons, PDFs, quizzes, 2 projects, verifiable certificate |
| In-person secretarial office course in Ziguinchor | 75,000 to 150,000 FCFA (115 to 230 EUR) | Fixed hours, travel | Varies by centre |
| Free YouTube tutorials | 0 FCFA (data aside) | Scattered videos | No progression, no project |
| Full Office Productivity track (5 levels) | 350,000 FCFA instead of 450,000 (535 EUR instead of 686) | Online | Computer basics, Word, Excel and higher levels |
The Office and Productivity track places Word at level 2, after computer basics and before Practical Excel at level 3. Module 1 is a free preview: read it before paying to check the level suits you, because access is not refundable once activated.
Possible side income
The program sheet quotes 2026 Dakar rates for layout services. In Ziguinchor, clients (students at Assane Seck University, candidates applying to NGO jobs) often pay at the lower end of these ranges. These are 2026 orders of magnitude, they vary by profile, and no income is guaranteed.
| Service | Quoted indicative rate | Estimated working time |
|---|---|---|
| CV layout | 5,000 to 15,000 FCFA (8 to 23 EUR) | 1 to 2 h |
| Thesis or report layout | 1,000 to 2,500 FCFA per page | Depends on the state of the text |
| 60-page thesis (1,000 FCFA per page) | 60,000 FCFA (91 EUR) | 6 to 10 h |
| Official letter from a template | Included in a wider service | 20 to 30 min with a template |
Learn this skill with Kolonell Academy
Short, practical online courses (taught in French), graded exercises, certificate. Pay with Wave or Orange Money.
Mini case study
Consider a hypothetical learner: Awa, 24, with a two-year business diploma in Ziguinchor, is applying for secretary roles in NGOs. She studies three sessions a week and finishes in three to four weeks, as the program sheet suggests. The illustrative calculation is simple: the course costs 50,000 FCFA. If, alongside her applications, she laid out a 40-page thesis at 1,000 FCFA per page (40,000 FCFA) and two CVs at 5,000 FCFA (10,000 FCFA), she would cover the cost of the course. This is only a sample calculation, not an achieved result: everything depends on the requests she finds around her.
FAQ
Is free Word for the web enough to follow the course?
For most exercises, yes. A few features, such as .dotx templates or some table of contents options, are more complete in the desktop app, and the lessons always give the alternative.
How much time should I plan?
About ten hours: roughly 5.5 hours of lessons, the exercises and two projects. At three sessions a week, most learners finish in three to four weeks.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes, a numbered Kolonell Academy certificate, verifiable online (QR code), that you can add to LinkedIn. You earn it by passing the quizzes of all five modules with at least 70% and validating both projects.
Does the course work on a weak connection?
Yes: lessons are written, open on a phone over 3G and need no app to install. Access is lifetime, updates included, with a forum per course and WhatsApp support.
How do I pay from Ziguinchor?
By Wave or Orange Money at +221 77 596 93 33. Access is activated within 24 working hours after payment.
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Take the next step. Enroll in Professional Word: CVs, reports and documents that inspire trust: 10 hours, level 2 Beginner, 50,000 FCFA (about 76 EUR), verifiable Kolonell Academy certificate, taught in French. Pay with Wave or Orange Money. Questions? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
