Centre de Réinsertion et Education pour les Enfants de la Rue

Centre of Rehabilitation & Education of Street & Trafficked Children in Cote d'Ivoire - NGO status registered & approved in Cote d'Ivoire

C.R.E.E.R is a non-profit, non-political and non-religious centre in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). We expect a mix of Christians & Muslims as well as local religions; those that want to follow their faith can do so locally and will be taken to their place of worship by our staff. We aim to work with the children, to give them future hope and be able to lead a normal adult life, after being part of a family at the centre.

What will C.R.E.E.R be?

We have a centre in Abengourou on a rental basis in a residential area of this important small city, 200km north of the economic capital, Abidjan & 30km from the Ghanaian border. It's very tranquil but minutes to the town centre. We have a house ready to house children & work with the authorities.

As the first such designated centre in West Africa our aim is to give long-term rehabilitation for trafficked children from all over region that are being brought over the border for farming, domestic servitude & prostitution.

We’ve already talked to the immigration authorities. The Ivorian Authorities are keen to see us set up as there’s nowhere that solely caters for trafficked children. They house those that they can intercept at the border, wherever they can find a bed. Our aim is to repatriate those that have families that can take care of them & educate the children that cannot be repatriated.

The idea is to start building on 5hectares of land promised to the organisation to build our own centre as soon as possible. C.R.E.E.R has worked hard since conception in 2010 before the Ivorian crisis and was unfortunately let down several times in regards to land with false promises.

We aim to be as self-sufficient as possible, enabling the children to learn about animal husbandry as well as renewable energy sources and their maintenance.

When we build the centre it will have more workshops and space to also create a small holding that the children will manage with tutors.

a) The current centre will provide accommodation for about 20 children initially. When we build, we hope to increase that number. b) All children will receive an education, maths, French and also potentially English as core components of other subjects.

2. On the land we want to build workshops, this will be the vocational part of the project so that all children will have a chance to leave with a skill.

We hope some will further their education too in tertiary establishments. The workshops will consist of vocational skills such as sewing, mechanics, carpentry and cooking etc.

In the longer term we’re hoping to have other C.R.E.E.R centres in Africa, the next one being at the other end of this trafficking corridor, just inside Nigeria’s border.

If you’d like to help, please email us at : c.r.e.e.r.rci@gmail.com

Or join our group http://www.facebook.com/groups/c.r.e.e.r.rci/

Or page http://www.facebook.com/pages/CREER/160911540628718 on Facebook

We’re also on Twitter @CREER_RCI