Protecting Street Children

Location: Abidjan

Situation:

The peace treaty signed in March 2007 in Ouagadougou between Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro represents a crucial step towards the resolution of the 2002 armed conflict which caused the Ivory Coast’s division. This conflict dramatically worsened the Human Rights situation along with the access to education and healthcare. In this context, where living conditions were already precarious due to the reduction of exportation rates, more than a third of the population lives under the poverty line.

There is increasing poverty and unemployment among the population of Abidjan. Many health centres have had to reduce their services after many of their staff left and because of the falling stocks of essential medical supplies.

Activities:

Supporting the local NGO MESAD (Movement for Education, Health and Development), the programme has two objectives:
• the protection and re-socialisation of street children and minors in prison;
• access to primary healthcare in the streets and at the NGO’s medical centre.

The work involves:
• a process of re-socialisation of street children with the creation of a drop-in centre, psychosocial monitoring, support in finding employment, reschooling and re-establishing family links;
• providing primary healthcare and supporting the medical activities of Treichville health centre;
• work amongst minors in Abidjan prison to improve their living conditions, and provide some physical, psychological and legal support to facilitate their reintegration when they leave the facility;
• specific STI/HIV prevention activities.

Outlook:

With financial assistance from Médecins du Monde, the local NGO MESAD is continuing work developed by MdM between December 1996 and June 2003. Since July 2003, the local NGO has been seeking funding to ensure it can provide the full programme. The country's instability does not encourage funders to fund such programmes.

On the long term, MESAD wants to decentralise its action towards the country’s 10 main regions ( San Pedro , Gagno, Bouaké, Abengourou, Bondoukou, Korhogo, Man, Odienné, Daloa and Yamoussoukro) to become a leading organization in the protection of children, with national as well as international recognition.

Project start date: December 1996

End date: Undefined