The importance of birth certificates
SOS Children in Ivory Coast
Overview of Ivory Coast
The republic of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) is in West Africa on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea, east of Liberia.
With tropical forests on the coast and central grasslands rising to mountains in the west, the main natural resources are fertile soil and valuable timber. More than sixty different tribes make up the population of over 15 million people, over a third of which live in urban and industrial areas. However, agriculture remains the basis of the economy, accounting for 80 per cent of exports. Ivory Coast is one of the world's leading producers of coffee and cocoa, with other important exports being palm oil, bananas and timber.
Compared with many African countries, Ivory Coast's health and education systems are relatively well developed, but the rapid increase in population and migration to cities and industrial centres have created many social problems such as unemployment, housing shortages and poverty.
Our Work in Ivory Coast
Abobo Gare, Abidjan
SOS Children began working in Ivory Coast in 1969 when a community was established at Abobo Gare, close to the city of Abidjan. In 1995 the village was closed for restructuring and renovation, the mothers and children moving temporarily to the SOS Children's Village in 
Aboisso. It re-opened in 1998 with ten new family houses providing a home for up to 100 children. Built in 1992, an SOS Primary School provides an education for children from the village as well as those from the surrounding community. A nursery with three classrooms provides day-care for the younger children, enabling parents to go out to work to support their children.
There are two SOS Youth Homes close by to the village, giving 27 older children the opportunity to prepare for an independent life under the careful supervision of qualified youth workers. SOS Children also rent private flats close to the village for up to a further 32 young adults, to help them to learn to take responsibility and learn to live on their own.
A Social and Medical Centre opened in the village in August 2004. The Social Centre provides support for up to 100 children from families in need. The Centre supports those affected by HIV/AIDS by offering those from the neighbouring communities food and medicine. It also offers financial aid to help families pay for their children to go to school. The medical centre provides medical care and medicine to those affected by the disease. In addition, SOS Children work to prevent the spread of disease by educating the local community.
Aboisso
We built our second SOS Children’s Village in Ivory Coast in 1993, in Aboisso, approximately 93 miles from Abidjan. The ten pastel coloured family houses provide a home for 100 children and are built on a hilltop with views over the city. The houses are arranged in a large oval around five straw huts and a small open air theatre. Other facilities include a nursery school and a SOS Primary School with six classrooms and a computer lab. An SOS Youth Home enables older children to gain experience of living semi-independently and counselling facilities provide emotional support for these young people. An SOS Social Centre supports HIV /AIDS affected families as well as working with the local community to raise awareness of the disease.
Aids Orphans in the Ivory Coast
See also more information on SOS Children’s Aids Orphan projects in the Ivory Coast.
Life in SOS Children's Villages Ivory Coast: Achieving goals with determination
Serge was just five years old when he came to the SOS Children's Village Abobo. His mother was unmarried and he had never even met his father. Serge and his mother lived in extremely poor conditions: they were homeless and lived hand to mouth until the day Serge was found on a market and wound up in the SOS Children's Village. That was in 1975. Today, at the age of 39, he is one of Côte d'Ivoire's most successful caterers.
When Serge speaks of the SOS Children's Village, his eyes light up: “I found it easy to integrate into SOS Children's Village Abobo. We were all brothers and sisters and knew each other. We were happy to live at the SOS Children's Village”.
“I had two SOS mothers before moving to the youth house: Mama Béby and Mama Zaratou. They were dedicated to their work and took care of us as if we were their own children. I was often ill, but Mama Béby never complained. She took care of me as if she were my real mother. Thanks to her care and her attention, I got used to life at the SOS Children's Village very quickly”. Serge also had contact with his biological mother, who would visit him at the SOS Children's Village once a year.
Serge lived in the youth house for the three years that he studied catering. He left the youth house a year after completing his training, when he got his first job.
Serge often visits the village director, the SOS mothers, the SOS aunts (family helpers) and his younger brothers and sisters. "When I need to have a really frank discussion with someone, I go to the village because that's where my parents and friends are", he says. He also regularly visits his former SOS mother who now lives in Agboville, about 100km from Abidjan and she visits him when she is in Abidjan as well. Serge’s children love her and call her “grandmother”.
Serge believes that the SOS Children's Village played a very important role in helping him to become a successful businessman and a good father. "The SOS Children's Village enabled me to go to school and did everything to support me in having a successful life", he said.
Local Contacts
SOS Villages d'Enfants Côte d'Ivoire
01 B.P. 618001 Abidjan
Côte d'Ivoire
Tel: +225/22 44 13 84, +225/07 75 98 54
Fax: +225/22 44 13 95
e-mail: dn.sos@sos-ci.org
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