For our Community, bringing the Love of God to all people has always meant giving great attention to the dimension of human promotion, aiding those who suffer, having a preferential option for the poor, and building communities in which to recognize and welcome Jesus in those who are marginalized and excluded.
For this reason, in Yopougon, we devote time and effort to carry out comprehensive development projects, actions for human promotion, and interventions in various areas, such as:
- Health
- Education
- Promotion of human rights
- Socio-professional integration.
Ongoing social projects
Health
In our territory, which is a particularly disadvantaged peri-urban area, a large number of people cannot afford to access public health facilities, as they are unable to pay for even the cheapest medical care or medication. In response to this urgent need, the idea arose to create medical centers to serve the population.
In these centers, qualified doctors and healthcare personnel offer basic services and various specialized consultations to everyone, particularly to the most disadvantaged groups. The aim is to enable everyone to take charge of their health: the services are of high quality and offered at very low social costs for people with low incomes; they are free for people in extreme poverty.
We also periodically organize health prevention and training campaigns in impoverished neighborhoods, in collaboration with different local partners.
Each year, the medical centers assist on average:
- 15,000 patients in general medicine
- 600 pediatric patients
- 270 patients in gynecology
- 200 patients in prenatal support
- 370 patients in cardiology
Additionally, we carry out each year:
- Over 1,600 vaccinations
- Over 5,000 medical tests
- HIV testing
- Nutritional campaigns
- Information campaigns against anemia, malaria, diabetes, and sickle cell disease.
Education
The Literacy School – Every year, more than 500 women attend literacy classes organized by our mission. These are mainly young women who have never had the opportunity to learn to read and write, and mothers who want to overcome illiteracy to better manage their small businesses.
For over 25 years, the school has been run by 80 volunteer teachers, mostly young academics who generously donate their time and skills to offer a better future to their sisters and mothers.
The Saint Laurent Library – For young people, we have created a library that provides quality service to members, with a vast collection of books (over 6,000 books), a clean and well-lit environment, and the possibility of accessing a computer room. The project was born out of the realization that the majority of students in the Yopougon district cannot afford the books necessary for their education.
In addition to the consultation service for school and university texts, the library organizes multiple cultural activities for students with the aim of improving their academic results and offering a space for meeting and social cohesion.
Promotion of Human Rights and Citizenship – Since 2014, in collaboration with the Ivorian Ministry of Education, we have been carrying out an educational project for students and teachers from 180 high schools with the objective of peaceful conflict resolution in schools. In a context where ethnic, religious, and gender discrimination easily lead to episodes of uncontrolled violence, this project has so far offered over 15,000 students and a thousand teachers the tools for the protection and consolidation of the rights of all, and in particular the most vulnerable.
Through the creation of over 200 local associations, we promote active participation of citizens in the public good and dialogue with institutions. Thanks to the training of local leaders and numerous actions in the area, we have improved the living conditions of residents in 20 precarious neighborhoods by obtaining from the local administration the provision of certain basic services such as public lighting, the removal of certain waste dump areas within the neighborhoods, and the planning of new school buildings in densely populated areas.
Since 2017, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, we have activated services dedicated to the protection and promotion of women’s rights: training for 100 midwives and nurses; strengthening of 10 maternity wards; implementation of a school program to prevent early pregnancy that has involved more than 6,000 students; the creation of 7 listening centers for women victims of violence and the strengthening of the supervision of 500 female university students.
Social and Professional Integration – In a context where work is precarious and difficult to find, we promote training in income-generating activities, both through the possibility of obtaining microcredit and by offering the following courses:
– Entrepreneurship training for young people and returning migrants.
– Commercial management training.
– Job search and savings management training.
– Training for young people and adult women to start a business.
– Accompaniment during the activity.
– Social promotion days.
In recent years, we have created over 250 jobs and helped 450 people start or develop a business.
Caritas – Since the beginning of our presence in Ivory Coast, we have aimed to welcome the most vulnerable people who come to us for help with dignity and speed. The Caritas of the Saint Laurent parish, entrusted to our pastoral care, fulfills this task with generosity and efficiency. Every year, hundreds of people in need are listened to by a team of volunteers who study their needs and find the most appropriate solution, whether it be food aid, medical assistance, or family mediation.
