On 18 March, an awareness-raising session was held in Téady (Duékoué) on hazardous tasks that children should not do and on the importance of the Child Friendly Spaces (CAE). The CAE is one of the approaches that the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) has put in place to help to prevent and address child labour and increase the resilience of cocoa farmers. The CAE is a learning space that allows children in cocoa-growing communities to express themselves through art and different games, while developing their skills within the community.
The centres have been tested in three cocoa communities in Côte d'Ivoire: Biakou (Gagnoa), Téady and Belle-ville (Duékoué). Following a successful pilot phase, ICI is organising awareness-raising sessions in the beneficiary communities to discuss how the community can support the continued running of the centres, with community members and the supervisory authorities. The Téady session was an opportunity to explore ways and means of setting up a parental committee including community members and leaders, who will help support the sustainability of the CAE.
Mr. Niamien Oi Niamien, Regional Director of the Ministry of Women, Family and Children in Duékoué, reaffirmed the will of the Ministry and ICI to see the activities of the centre continue. To this end, a programme will be established, which will lead to the gradual handover of the activity to the Ministry, he explained. "Both parties have agreed on a timetable that will lead to the handover of the project to the Ministry," he said. Mr. Nicolas Douha, Head of ICI’s Duékoué Regional Office, said that awareness raising was a key moment in the planning of the continued sustainability of the centres. "We have come to raise awareness so that the population can take ownership of the project's achievements," he said. In addition, before the activity is handed over to the Ministry, the playground equipment will be repaired and the centre refurbished. This operation will take place in all three communities, Téady, Biakou and Belle-ville.
In addition to providing a safe space where children can stay so they don’t need to accompany their parents to the fields, the centres help children develop new skills, especially those who attend regularly, thanks to the many educational and play activities. The CAE is similar to the after-school centres set up by the State of Côte d'Ivoire and other private structures in large cities, explained Mr Niamien Oi. It complements the Community Action Centres for Children (CACE) built by the government in rural communities for children younger than legal school age and are a sort of alternative to kindergarten. According to Mr. Niamien Oi, it is an excellent complement to community life to tackle child labour in cocoa-growing communities.
Mr Zokou Bobo Guy Gesril, Sub-Prefect of Kahin-Zarabaon, was present at the Teady awareness-raising session and said he was inspired by the activities carried out by the children who regularly attend the CAE and with whom he had a long discussion.