The target communities of the Elimination of Child Labour in Cocoa (ECLIC) project in the Gbôklê region of the Sassandra sub-prefecture of Côte d'Ivoire have recently received material to support their awareness-raising efforts. Bicycles, megaphones, image boxes, raincoats, boots, backpacks, leaflets, solar chargers for tablets will enable the Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs) of seven communities to advocate child protection even in remote areas.
During the handover of the material to the members of the CCPCs, the Sub-Prefect asked them to make good use of the equipment and to take care of it to ensure the smooth running of the project and thus to provide better protection to their communities' children. The chief of Campement John was pleased with the choice of his community for the ceremony and took advantage of the presence of the Sub-Prefect to make some appeals on his side. He wishes to build a school and a health centre in his community, as well as provide birth certificates for its children, that will allow them to receive their school diplomas. In Côte d'Ivoire, the administrative process of registering a child becomes complicated and costly if it is not done within the first three months after the birth. Many families cannot afford to register their children within this time range, either because they live in a very remote area or due to the lack of time. Once they pass the fifth grade, children have to present their birth certificate in order to pass the state exams and continue schooling.
The Secretary of the CCPC of Campement John, on behalf of the beneficiaries, welcomed the presence of the Sub-Prefect of Sassandra and other officials, and the International Cocoa Initiative for the actions undertaken in the communities of the region in favour of the well-being of children. Continuing his remarks, he encouraged ICI field staff in the Gbôklê region to develop a close relationship with the communities in order to jointly achieve the objectives of the project.
Last month, the ECLIC beneficiary communities in San Pedro received their equipment for the implementation of their activities. These material handovers are therefore in progress in all 50 communities benefiting from the project.