The setec Foundation renews its partnership with the Eau de Coco association in Madagascar. After providing financial support in 2023 for the integration and one-year attendance of 21 young girls in the homes of the NGO Bel Avenir in Tuléar and Mangily, we are proud to support in 2024 the reintegration of 15 of these young girls, as well as 5 new arrivals.
Context
The Eau de Coco association, which has been operating in Madagascar for many years through the NGO Bel Avenir, has reported a situation of extreme precariousness affecting children in Tuléar, the main town in southern Madagascar, and young girls in particular.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, Eau de Coco has observed an increase in violence against children within families, and a worsening situation of exclusion of young girls from the community.
This exclusion is due in particular to the high rate of unwanted pregnancies among these girls. These may be the result of sexual violence, which is becoming increasingly frequent, or the practice of prostitution among young girls, who are sometimes encouraged by their families to contribute to the family income. Nevertheless, pregnant girls are excluded from the community, and therefore all the more in danger as they become isolated and fragile in the face of various acts of violence.
Missions
The reintegration program is part of a comprehensive educational, social, cultural and personal development program for these girls.
This involves defining and implementing a future project, such as further education, training or employment.
This future project is accompanied by the regularization of civil status and the development of targeted follow-up.
In February 2024, Bao Andritsaina, setec Madagascar, project sponsor, met Madame Haingo, president of Bel Avenir and coordinator of the Tuléar civil society Child Protection Platform; Stéphane Hamouis, director of the Eau de Coco association; and Gilles Contremoulin, project monitoring manager, at La Résidence d’Ankerana in Antananarivo. The visit provided an opportunity to exchange views on the operation of the various entities and the remarkable work carried out on a daily basis by the professionals of the two NGOs.
Success stories
6 girls left the homes of the NGO Bel Avenir to pursue their project. 5 of them have gone on to university, and another has taken a training course leading to a job in a hotel.
Even if the situation remains complicated in the country, the journey of these 6 girls gives hope and reflects the success of the work of the Eau de Coco association, the NGO Bel Avenir, and the Plateforme de la Protection de l’Enfance.
At a previous Steering Committee meeting, the subjects of changing attitudes and raising awareness were raised. Indeed, a large number of parents understand the importance of sending their children to school.
A simple example illustrates this evolution: at the beginning of the entities’ activities, the NGO Bel Avenir had to look for children to send them to school and place them in homes. Today, many parents take the initiative.
In a more legal framework, the violence suffered by young girls is more often considered, due to the evolution of the law and mentalities. In addition, the deployment of the Child Protection Platform enables young girls and their families to denounce violence, take victims to safety and even initiate legal proceedings.
The setec Foundation is renewing its support with 10,000 euros for 2024.