Virtually half the children in Benin work rather than go to school. Hence, the fight against child trafficking, exploitation and mistreatment is a top priority for Tdh in Benin and Nigeria.


Solutions proposed by Terre des hommes

Maternal and child health – Tdh is conducting a programme to increase awareness among communities in over 40 villages in Zou, the poorest region in Benin. The Foundation is also offering direct material and technical support to health centres to improve the quality of care.

Fight against child trafficking, exploitation and mistreatment – Since 1990, the Oasis Centre of Cotonou has been a shelter for children victims of abuse, before their return in a more protective environment. Tdh not only works with the authorities but also with the stone quarry operators and the local communities in order to protect the exploited children.

Special medical care – Tdh identifies the children who need special treatment, which they tend to receive within the existing local infrastructure or in Europe, if necessary.


Results achieved in 2008

Maternal and child health – Tdh monitored the health and nutritional state of 10,800 children aged 5 years and under. The organisation encouraged 750 pregnant women to give birth in hospital and to breastfeed their babies until they were 6 months old.

Fight against trafficking, exploitation and mistreatment – Tdh has offered 513 children victims of exploitation a place at its Oasis centre in Cotonou. In addition, 70 children from Benin who worked in the Abeokuta quarries in Nigeria have been repatriated and reunited with their families. An agreement with the quarry operators has been struck which will allow the repatriation of 1,000 more children and their return to their families. Furthermore, 500 children over 14 years of age can continue with their work, which is necessary for the survival of their families, while attending a local school.

Special medical care - 26 children, whose state of health was critical, received sophisticated surgery in Europe. 34 more children were operated locally.


Challenges to be taken up

Tdh wants to further strengthen the mechanisms that protect children who are victims of trafficking and exploitation in Benin. One chosen method is to work together with the employers, the families and communities to revalue and reinforce the actions that they undertake to protect their children. It is about understanding these communities and appreciating their concept of childhood, their educational values, their traditions and social structures. It is by winning the trust of those directly involved that Tdh will be able to establish long-term solutions together with them, for the benefit of the children.


Two questions to Abimbola Lagunju, delegate of Tdh in Benin

There are new developments in the fight against the trafficking, exploitation and mistreatment of children. What is the goal?
A.L.: On the one hand, we want the Oasis centre to become a real pillar of the Institute for the Protection of Childhood [Tdh initiative about to be set up], which is operated and partly financed by the government. On the other hand, we need to fine-tune our strategy of intervention against the exploitation of Benin children in Nigerian stone quarries. It is an extremely complex situation involving many people with differing interests but, ultimately, everyone needs to be satisfied with the outcome to a greater or lesser degree. We need to negotiate with everyone involved and look for the positive messages. For example, we obviously criticise the exploitation of children in these quarries but the children themselves see it as a way to make money. Because after two or three years work, when they actually receive the money they have been promised, they can buy a house or a motorcycle or find some other work in their home community.

How can we then put an end to a situation where the rights of children are trampled on but where nobody wants real change starting with the children themselves?
A.L.: We need to find other types of activities that allow children to earn money in Benin without needing to work under such appalling conditions. At the same time, we must ensure that the laws banning the exploitation of children are more effectively applied. What is clearly difficult is that not everyone has necessarily the same idea of what children’s rights actually mean. Perhaps, we should use a more universal criterion such as the happiness of children in order to get the message across!