// Sponsoring Orphan Children
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The Friendly Haven started with a 2008 program sponsoring around fifty orphans in Togo. Today, we support 332 orphans. It’s an increase in quantity that we’ve paired with an increase in quality.
Every child therefore receives personalized support, not only from a material standpoint but also from a psychological one. The children helped by the Friendly Haven receive progressive levels of support depending on their situation.
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For the most underprivileged children, we provide complete support: paying for school fees and supplies, school uniforms, breakfasts, meals for the child’s host family, medical help in case of illness, help buying clothes, and psychological support.
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For children who are in difficult situations but whose host families have a basic income level, the support is essentially limited to school and food expenses.
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For children in less alarming situations, the support is essentially limited to school expenses.
In some cases, we give extra support to children, especially:
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Just before the start of school: school supplies are distributed to children and their school fees are paid. At that moment, we organize a little celebration, which the children are of course happy to take part in!
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Before end-of-year exams: we provide psychological support and tutoring to children for exams. Knowing that school dropout rates are very high in Togo, it’s very important to be there scholastically for the children. Many of the youths we’ve sponsored have already finished high school; they started as street children, and now they can dream of a different future!
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During Christmas and Easter holidays: events and celebrations to entertain the children and bring them together; organization of artistic and play activities.
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During elections: the 2005 presidential elections resulted in a wave of violence, especially in the region around Atakpamé; we are therefore very vigilant during any election season. Just before elections, we provide food kits to all our host families to allow them to survive in the event of a crisis and to prevent them from having to leave their homes in dangerous situations.
As a result of these sponsorships, the children have regained confidence in themselves and become aware of their own worth.
Those who had quit school have returned. Freed from daily concerns about simple survival, they have regained their childhood.
That’s why in 2013, the continuation of our sponsorship program will remain our priority.