For more than 10 years, the FFL has been working to combat child trafficking and promote children’s personal development, in collaboration with two partner NGOs: PIED (Programme d’Insertion des Enfants Déshérités) and APEM (Association pour la Protection de l’Enfance Malheureuse) in 16 villages around the municipalities of Djougou and Parakou. In November 2024, a new project to combat trafficking was also launched by the Beninese government, in partnership with the Luxembourg Embassy, in the departments of Zou and Couffo.
In this context, the project supports schooling for younger children (under 14) and vocational training for older children to help them reintegrate into society.
This year, 168 children were welcomed into the residential centres supported by the FFL. Each child received comprehensive care, including three meals a day and temporary accommodation. Following an in-depth social investigation, 159 of them were able to be reintegrated into their family environment. Among them, 50 children under the age of 14 were able to return to school with the support of school kits for the 2024-2025 school year.
At the same time, 80 children identified as particularly vulnerable received support in kind and/or in cash enabling them to have breakfast every day, and for girls, to access sanitary protection. Thirty young people were able to enroll in vocational training. Follow-up visits were carried out throughout the year, ensuring continuous support for children who were admitted, reintegrated or in apprenticeships.