Burkina Faso
Terre des hommes (Tdh) has been active in Burkina Faso since 1987 and carries out projects related to health, nutrition and childhood protection. In 2011, more than 79,000 people benefited from the activities implemented.
The context
Burkina Faso is one of the least developed countries in the world. 80% of the population depends on a subsistence economy. The situation is complicated by cruelly inadequate infrastructures and high unemployment. The inaccessibility or complete lack of a healthcare system is a huge problem, and has a significant impact on mothers and children. Infant mortality is particularly high due to the important number of births that take place outside of any healthcare facility. Malnutrition is widespread throughout the whole country. Alongside this, a large number of Burkinabés have emigrated to Côte d’Ivoire or Ghana for economic reasons. Poverty forces many children to work at a very young age, making them vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking.
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-1.966267
13.444488
Seguenega
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-0.617352
12.258925
Zorgho
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-3.202887
13.382656
Toeni
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-3.067002
13.068551
Tougan
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-4.291563
11.18182
Bobo Dioulasso
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-1.533337
12.371963
Ouagadougou
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-0.022888
14.132847
Dori
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-3.497315
15.284185
Mopti (Mali)
Centered at -1.561593 12.238333 6
Children's situation
- 46% of the population is under the age of 15
- 47% of children work
Delegate: David Kerespars
Expatriate staff: 3
National staff: 94
Budget: 7 million CHF
In collaboration with: Ministries of Health, Justice and Social Affairs, ECHO, UNICEF, LED, DDC, ICDF/TAIWAN
Protection of children working as domestic servants or in mines and stone quarries
In addition to awareness-raising sessions and the implementation of protection measures, Tdh works to strengthen traditional child protection mechanisms. The Foundation also establishes alliances with the authorities in order to put in place a mechanism capable of identifying and taking responsibility for children at risk and offering individual assistance aimed at successful reintegration (education, school support and professional training).
Health and nutrition
Since 2007, Tdh has assisted two health districts in combating severe acute malnutrition in children under the age of 5. The project has three main focus areas: firstly, strengthening health bodies to improve the quality of healthcare; secondly, a mechanism to provide free healthcare to all children under the age of 5, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, thereby increasing health coverage; and finally, community health workers are supported in their role of raising awareness among mothers of prevention, screening and child monitoring.
Juvenile justice
In 2009, Tdh launched a project aimed at improving procedures relating to justice for minors and promoting alternatives to detention within the community.
- Tdh is working on strengthening the national system of child protection and intervenes on the ground in the fight against the exploitation of children. This has allowed it to provide direct aid to more than 4,500 vulnerable children such as young female domestic workers, children forced to beg for their survival and children exploited in the mining sector.
- In 2011, Tdh also dedicated itself to achieving restorative justice for minors in conflict with the law and enabled around 50 children to receive alternative sentences rather than imprisonment.
- Furthermore, Tdh is continuing its fight against acute malnutrition, which was decreased thanks to a subsidisation programme providing care to more than 110,000 children and expectant mothers, to the strengthening of the health system in two districts, and to preventive work in communities.
