Avenir de l'Enfant

ADE's street workers carry out both day and night time visits to the streets to talk to children in street situations and to offer them support. They organise awareness raising discussions covering themes such as: physical abuse, rejection, stigmatisation, theft, drugs, diarrhoeic illnesses, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, hygiene, sexual abuse, prostitution, sexual tourism, etc. 

For every child they offer the possibility of tracing their family, mediation in meeting their family and eventually reunification. They also offer an opportunity to leave the streets and integrate into the "observation centre" based in Rufisque where they are given temporary shelter, counselling and benefit from some education and leisure activities in a safe environment. For those needing longer term accommodation this is provided by ADE at their "family -style" centre, from where the children can also attend local schools.

Family reintegration is an expensive and timely operation, the children come from all over Senegal and even neighbouring countries. The first step of this practice is to trace the families and commence a mediation and reconciliation process. For many complex reasons, often to do with poverty but also to do with issues of abuse in the family, this can be a time consuming process. ADE's main concern is the safety and well being of the child. Once the child has been returned home it is also ADE's responsibility to maintain contact and support, to ensure long term security for the child and a harmonious reunion.