Projects and activities of the CPAJ

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CPAJ is active in four domains: family reintegration, school reintegration, vocational training and psychosocial support. Each activity has its own precise strategies.

1. Family reintegration

- Enable the child to leave the street

- Six month transition in the CPAJ : know the problems that pushed this child to leave his family and enter the street, try to find solutions to his problems. Teach the child a “normal” behaviour for his age: not to take drugs, to be responsible of his sexual conduct,… And to get them used to a regular rhythm of life: respecting a schedule,…

- Visit the families before the reintegration of the child.

- Reintegrate the child in his own family or in a foster family. The child will thus (re)learn how to live respectfully in a family, in a community even if the living conditions are sometimes quite harsh.

- Do a follow up with family after the reintegration and take care of the possible problems that can arise.

« A child that is living in the street is not just a “street child” and can not be reduced to being only his “situation”. Before all he is a child born in a family, he’s embodied with his “family knowledge”, with an education, and thus an understanding of the world that surrounds him.»

Phrase said by Claude Heyberger – who worked 10 years with the NGO ATD Fourth World Movement, in Burkina Faso particularly with children living in the streets.

                                                                                                  

2. School Reintegration

- During these 6 months of transition the child is reoriented either towards a vocational training or towards primary school according to his choice and age.

- Assure the material basis for a good learning process: lunch meals, school uniforms, minerval (school fees), evening classes, medical care,…

The CPAJ currently supports these expenses for more than 200 children in primary and secondary school.

- Interest the children in passing with success the national exams to enable them to continue in governmental schools.

3. Vocational training

- The centre offers vocation trainings to strengthen the capacities of young people who did not have the occasion to complete their primary school education. In order to help them succeed in the learning of theoretical notions, an alphabetisation class is given to the students requiring it since many of them don’t know how to read or write.

- Three vocations are currently taught: tailoring, hair dressing and serigraphy by professionals.

- Parallel to the specific classes linked to these jobs, trainings on the basics of finances, accounting and group organization are given by the accountant of the CPAJ.

- At the end of their training, the centre helps them enter the work market.

- On top of learning a new job, these trainings are a way for the youth to find a learning friendly environment where they are truly listened to.

4. Psycosocial and moral support

- An important activity of the social workers in the CPAJ is listening to the children and finding ways to help them regain confidence in themselves and trust in others.

- Theatre and drawing is also used to help children express their problems and trauma.

- Each morning a meditation assures the spiritual dimension.