Paul Gbato, Director of SOS Children's Villages Ivory Coast. From SOS Archives

*** UPDATE: March 16, 2011: Due to increasing violence and instability in Aboisso, Ivory Coast, SOS children, mothers, and staff from SOS Children's Villages - Abobo-Gare will be temporarily relocating to secure locations in Lome, Togo, on March 17, 2011 The children and staff will be temporarily accomodated at the SOS Children's Villages in Kara Togo. SOS is working with authorities in Togo, the UN High Commission for Refugees and UNICEF to ensure the safety of all involved.

March 15, 2011: The Ivory Coast has been the scene of violent outbreaks and armed conflicts since the results of the Ivory Coast presidential election were announced late last year. The SOS children and staff from the Village in Abidjan were evacuated to keep them out of harm’s way. Paul Gbato, the Director of SOS Children’s Villages Ivory Coast, discusses the situation from his point of view.

Since the presidential elections, the people of Ivory Coast hoped the outcome would put an end to violence that has plagued the country since 2002. Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse, especially in Abobo-Gare.

To ensure the safety of the children, we decided to evacuate the Village in Abobo-Gare and move all the children, Mothers, and staff to our Village in Aboisso. Aboisso will be one of the last towns to experience any type of violence due to its remoteness and proximity to neighboring Ghana. If an evacuation of the Aboisso Village becomes necessary, it would be easy to do.

Our priorities are to make sure all of our students stay in school and avoid missing an entire semester. We are also trying to identify and help children who have been affected by the violence, especially on the western side of Ivory Coast.

SOS children chatting before school in Aboisso. Photo by Catherine Flore Ngo Biyack

I just came back from Aboisso and am glad to say that all the children are fine. The SOS Medical Center from Abobo-Gare has been moved to Aboisso to make sure the children are healthy. We have also been able to secure food to last us the next three months in Aboisso. Children have begun to attend the SOS Kindergarten and SOS School; older students are in the process of signing up for various schools and professional training centers.

The only caveat to evacuating one Village to another is the overcrowding. Instead of one family living in a home, there are two families: one from Abobo-Gare and one from Aboisso. Fortunately, however, the children from both Villages are able get to know each other well by celebrating holidays together and participating in joint activities.

The schools are suffering from overcrowding as well. There are about forty-five students per class now. To take care of the large amount of students, teachers from Abobo-Gare are helping the teachers in Aboisso. Lessons are being taught in shifts – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Currently, we are looking for some more space for the Aboisso youth facility to accommodate the youth from both Villages.

The violence and instability has made the daily routine at SOS Children’s Villages very difficult. Several staff members have been unable to work due to security issues, and communication is constantly being challenged because of bandits cutting telephone lines. Banks are closed, so we are unable to make financial transactions. We relocated our national offices to Cocody, a calm residential area of Abidjan.

Girl at SOS in Aboisso. Photo by Catherine Flore Ngo Biyack

The population of Abidjan remain resilient. With the exception of certain areas of the city, people are going to work, shops are open for business, public transportation is up and running, and children are going to school. In spite of all the reported violence, the people of Ivory Coast are still hoping for a peaceful solution.

You can help Ivory Coast and SOS worldwide by becoming a Global Village Builder. With $12 per month, you can help violence-stricken children a chance at a brighter future.

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