Les Enfants de la Plage: a project strengthened by the support of CSEL
Pontarlier, December 27, 2024. In early December, the associations "Comité de Soutien à l'Enfance de Lomé" (CSEL) and "Médias Ebène" signed an agreement concerning the administrative and financial takeover of the "Les Enfants de la Plage" project, initiated by Médias Ebène in 2019 in Lomé. This agreement also includes a new collaboration in the field, effective from 2025, for the benefit of street children in Lomé. Explanations.
A project launched in 2019 takes on a new dimension
Launched in January 2019 during the first knowledge transfer seminar entitled Lomé1, this project initially involved around ten children living on the beach near the Kodjoviakopé neighborhood, a few dozen meters from the Ghanaian border. Médias Ebène supported the family of Haruna and Essenam Gotoechan, allowing them to free up time for visits and a monthly meal. Last December, 237 meals were distributed, demonstrating the growing scale of the project.
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December 14, 2024, 237 meals were donated at Lomé beach.
A strategic collaboration to maximize impact
However, as caring for street children did not fall within the objectives of the Médias Ebène association, which specializes in "supporting media development in French-speaking Africa," the association applied for authorization to issue tax receipts. In this context, Médias Ebène approached CSEL in Paris in 2024 to ask if they could receive donations for the children and redirect them to the association managing the work on the ground in Lomé. An agreement was signed on December 1, allowing for a first fruitful exchange of experiences. It should be noted that CSEL already issues tax receipts for French residents.
Gérard Yovo, CAJED coordinator, and the children at the shelter
Fieldwork assessment: Clear synergy
The impact on the ground has been very positive. CSEL funds the Comité d’Aide aux Jeunes en Difficulté (CAJED), created in 1996 in Lomé, which focuses primarily on street children. CAJED has two care centers, including a shelter, and carries out outreach work and important social work, including with the children's families where they exist. During a recent visit, representatives from Médias Ebène were able to assess the quality of the work being done and identify many potential synergies with the "Les Enfants de la Plage" project. Mr. Yovo from CAJED and Mr. Gotoechan from "Les Enfants de la Plage" expressed mutual appreciation for each other's work and recognized the humanitarian values shared by their organizations.
On the left, Gérard Yovo, coordinator of CAJED, and Haruna Gotoechan, coordinator of "Enfants de la Plage" (Children of the Beach).
New benefits for donors
For current Médias Ebène donors specifically committed to "Les Enfants de la Plage," it is necessary to update your bank details (please request them here). Donations will now be directed to CSEL in Paris, which will transfer them to Lomé. French donors will thus receive a tax receipt for donations made in 2025. Unfortunately, this tax exemption is not available to Swiss donors. Médias Ebène welcomes this development, particularly the significant synergies that are emerging in both Europe and Togo. With the situation of children in Lomé deteriorating, this pooling of resources is entirely to their benefit.
Learn more about the Lomé Child Support Committee (CSEL)
Learn more about the Committee for Assistance to Youth in Difficulty (CAJED)
Request CSEL bank details (forms)
