The Need

With an economy heavily dependent on subsistence farming, the Collines region of central Benin has many children that suffer due to extreme poverty, leaving school at an early age to work and support their families. Furthermore, the region’s remote location and weak infrastructure have made the area a haven for child trafficking while also limiting the community's ability to receive outside assistance. These conditions often leave children in vulnerable positions, cut off from access to education, health care, and basic social support structures. In the region, Dagbé’s sister organization, the Centre d’Accueil et d’Ecoute des Enfants en Situation Difficile (CAEES), which translates to Center for Children in Difficult Situations, operates the only community-based center of its kind, providing food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, and emotional support.