AREA OF EXPERTISE
Education and protection
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Education and protection
FUNDING
Since 2011, TGH has been working with street children in Bangui alongside the Fondation Voix du Cœur (FVDC), its local partner, and, since October 2019, with minors incarcerated at the Ngaragba Central Prison, with the aim of maintaining and strengthening the protection and social reintegration of vulnerable minors in Bangui.
Football game organised on the occasion of the International Day of the African Child, Central Prison of Ngaragba, Bangui, Central African Republic, June 2021 © Orphée Zaza Emmanuel BAMOY
TGH's intervention focuses on three main areas: support for incarcerated minors and street children, their reintegration into the family, and capacity building for child protection actors in Bangui (in particular the FVDC).
To this end, the TGH team conducts round-ups in neighbourhoods where street children live. During these round-ups, the children are given the opportunity to participate in games and to be looked after by the TGH team nurse, who treats them or refers them to the hospital if special care is needed. Through the outreach activities, the TGH team is able to follow the street children individually. They also visits the Ngaragba Central Prison to provide care and psycho-social support to incarcerated minors, as well as the three centres run by the FVDC.
In conjunction with these activities carried out directly by the TGH team, FVDC staff are trained to deal with survivors of sexual violence and abuse. The prison staff of the Ngaragba Central Prison are also made aware of the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. These training sessions contributes to strengthen the capacities of TGH's local partners, and ultimately enable street children and incarcerated minors to receive the best possible support.
In the Damala centre run by the FVDC, TGH trained the girls in saponification and sewing. Their work was exhibited at the Alliance Française on the International Day of the African Child in June. In addition, TGH provides equipment for the centres in Sica, Sôh and Damala: school kits, teaching kits, etc. These donations enable the centre managers to organise lessons or games with the children.
Booth of the Fondation Voix du Cœur’s Damala center as part of the exhibition-sale organised on the occasion of the International Day of the African Child, Alliance Française, Bangui, Central African Republic. June 2021 © TGH
Since October 2019, TGH has also been working with minors incarcerated at the Ngaragba Central Prison (Bangui). TGH provides support to the prison staff for first aid and the follow-up of minors, and organises educational, sports (weekly football game) and cultural activities. These activities aim to communicate educational values to the incarcerated minors and to foster social cohesion. A teacher from the Alliance Française also visits the prison to enable the children to access literacy classes. Courses can continue to be taken even after the minors’ release from prison, depending on their reintegration project.
For both incarcerated minors and street children, TGH provides family reunification support for the children who request it. When necessary, the minors receive a reunification kit composed of soap, mats and clothing. These kits facilitate the family reunification of the children in conditions that respect their dignity. TGH also offers social follow-up (family and community mediation). The families of the most vulnerable reunified children are supported by TGH in setting up income-generating activities. They all benefit from follow-up by the social workers of the TGH team. The aim of this support is to make family reunification sustainable.
Recreational activities on the occasion of the International Day of the African Child, Sica centre of the Fondation Voix du Coeur, Bangui, Central African Republic. June 16th, 2021 © TGH.