Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire: Defending Childhood at the Root of the Cocoa Crisis

Explore Côte d’Ivoire:

Learn how children in this fast-growing West African nation are navigating child labor, post-war inequality, and education barriers — and meet the grassroots movements protecting their futures.

The Situation for Children in Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s top cocoa producer, with a booming economy and rich cultural heritage. But many of its children remain trapped in cycles of labor, poverty, and exclusion — especially in rural and post-conflict areas. These are the three most urgent challenges:

Widespread Child Labor in Cocoa and Agriculture

Hundreds of thousands of children work in cocoa farms and other sectors, often carrying heavy loads, using sharp tools, and missing school. Family poverty and weak enforcement make it hard for children to escape the fields.

Education Disruption in Rural and Conflict-Affected Areas

Though school enrollment has improved, many children — especially in the west and north — lack access to functioning schools, teachers, and safe transportation. Girls face early marriage, and children with disabilities are often excluded.

Post-War Trauma and Weak Child Protection Systems

Years of political conflict left thousands of children displaced, orphaned, or exposed to violence. Mental health care and child protection services remain limited, especially outside urban centers.

Despite these challenges, Côte d’Ivoire’s children remain full of hope, dreaming of education, health, and opportunities for a better tomorrow.

Key Contributor #1: ONG Lueur d’Espoir

Helping Children Exit Cocoa Labor and Reclaim Education

In cocoa-farming regions like San Pedro and Soubré, Lueur d’Espoir works directly with children engaged in hazardous agricultural labor. Their outreach teams visit farms, identify at-risk youth, and offer transitional education, psychosocial care, and family reintegration plans.

They also run awareness workshops for parents and farmers — helping entire communities understand the long-term harm of child labor, and showing that school is not a luxury, but a right.

For children long seen as workers, Lueur d’Espoir offers a different identity: student, dreamer, child.

Key Contributor #2: Fondation Amour de l’Enfant

Supporting Orphans and Trauma Survivors With Healing and Care

Operating in post-conflict areas like Man and Duékoué, Fondation Amour de l’Enfant provides shelter, counseling, and schooling for children affected by war, violence, or family separation. Many of the children have lost parents or witnessed trauma during past political crises.

The foundation offers trauma-informed learning, group therapy through play and art, and caregiver mentorship for long-term healing. They also work to reunite children with extended families when safe.

In a country where many children still carry emotional scars, they are stitching something whole from what was broken.

Key Event #1: Child Freedom Campaign – Soubré Region

Mobilizing Communities to End Cocoa Child Labor

In 2023, Lueur d’Espoir launched the Child Freedom Campaign, gathering local farmers, school leaders, and village elders to publicly commit to ending child labor in cocoa farming. Events included street parades led by former child laborers, school enrollment drives, and live theater performances on the risks of hazardous work.

The campaign also helped 150 children return to school with uniforms, materials, and meals. For the first time, entire villages declared themselves “child labor free zones.”

The campaign sparked a shift — not just in policy, but in hearts.

Key Event #2: Healing Camp for War-Affected Children – Duékoué

Offering Emotional Recovery Through Creativity and Care

In 2024, Fondation Amour de l’Enfant hosted a weeklong Healing Camp for children who had witnessed violence or displacement during the post-election conflict. The camp offered music therapy, painting circles, storytelling sessions, and one-on-one grief support with trained counselors.

Each day, children explored what joy, family, and safety could look like again. On the final day, they planted trees together — symbols of growth rooted in resilience.

It was more than a camp. It was a chance to begin again.

Top Grassroot Nonprofits Across Côte d’Ivoire