Childhood-Youth, Serving the world of tomorrow
Childhood & Youth is at the heart of our mission, with the ambition of supporting each child and young person to reveal their unique potential, to flourish fully and to contribute positively to the future of humanity.
HOPE
This program aims to ensure quality education and combat poverty through academic support and socio-educational activities for children aged 5 to 16. It impacts more than 9,000 children each year.
Our projects
SO-ZOUNKO EDUCATION - BENIN
In Sô-Zounko, a lakeside community made up of seven hamlets in the Vekky district (Atlantique department), 20,000 residents live primarily from fishing, crafts, and small businesses. This community, which speaks the Toffin dialect, faces numerous challenges: very limited access to electricity, with only a few residents having solar panels, and a precarious education system comprising only three public primary schools and one middle school. To address these needs, Fondacio Bénin initiated a development and solidarity project in 2003 structured around two main areas: literacy classes for women (in Fon and French) and academic support activities for children aged 6 to 16. The program also includes support for access to documentation, allowing 100 students and young people to benefit from library resources. With 100 children receiving educational support and 40 adults receiving literacy training (40% of whom are women), the project is making a significant contribution to improving educational standards in this isolated region.
LPJ - BURKINA FASOBURKINA FASO
In Fada N'Gourma, in eastern Burkina Faso, the LPJ has been providing access to quality secondary education for young people aged 11 to 18 since 2008. In this region marked by poverty, the high school combines general education with educational support adapted to the local context, with preparation for national exams (BEPC, Bac). In addition to daytime classes, the LPJ organizes evening classes for out-of-school youth and adults and offers socio-educational activities focused on reading and personal development. Eight classes currently accommodate 421 students. The project aims to modernize infrastructure and provide ongoing teacher training to ensure a stimulating, safe, and sustainable learning environment. The LPJ positions itself as a structuring educational hub for the region, offering comprehensive training adapted to local social and educational challenges.
DIVINE SUCCES+ - CONGO BRAZAVILLE
The Divina project, led by Fondacio Congo Brazzaville, operates in the commune of Talangai, north of Brazzaville, specifically in the Ngamakosso district. It addresses the major challenges of the local education system, where classes are dramatically overcrowded, with a ratio of one teacher to 100 students, resulting in a primary school success rate limited to 30.8%. In response to this situation, the project offers targeted academic support for children from CP to CM2, emphasizing fundamental skills such as reading and mathematics. This individualized approach helps compensate for the shortcomings of mass education and provides children living in extreme poverty with the tools they need to succeed in their academic careers. In addition to the educational support activities that benefit 30 children, the project organizes socio-educational activities for 40 children and provides financial support for the schooling of 5 particularly vulnerable children, thus creating an environment conducive to the educational development of young people aged 7 to 17.
OSSEA - RDC
OSSEA (Social Solidarity Organization for Abandoned Children) has been working since 2009 in the overcrowded commune of Masina, on the outskirts of Kinshasa. This urban area of more than 516,000 inhabitants spread across 21 neighborhoods faces multiple challenges: poor transportation, lack of access to drinking water and electricity, waste management problems, and recurring flooding. In this particularly difficult context, the project targets destitute, abandoned, and extremely poor children. Using the premises of the Saint François-Xavier parish in the Pétrocongo Abattoir neighborhood, OSSEA is developing a comprehensive program aimed at reducing the phenomenon of street children by providing a space for restraint and training. Activities include schooling for children who are out of school or have dropped out, remedial classes for children already in school but experiencing difficulties, and financial support that allows 44 children to continue their education. Thanks to this approach, 87 children benefit from personalized support which promotes their social integration and personal development.
ANGE - TOGO
The NGO ANGE (Friends for a New Generation of Children) has been working since 2001 for children's rights in Togo, where nearly 6,000 children live on the streets, including 3,000 in Lomé. With 90% of these street children being boys, the organization has developed two reception centers in Lomé that offer refuge and a fresh start. The project is structured around a comprehensive strategy: protection and prevention in the Yoto prefecture to prevent children from leaving for the streets of the capital, recovery and care for children already living on the streets, and social and family reintegration. Support includes housing, food, medical care, schooling or vocational training, and socio-educational support. The impact is significant, with 1,500 children supported in total, including 700 in school, 91 housed in reception centers, 37 supported in vocational training, 47 reintegrated into their families, and 305 having received medical care. At the same time, the association is committed to an ecological approach with reforestation actions, thus adding an environmental dimension to its social project.
ASFOTODE EDUCATION - TOGO
Born in 2017 from the synergy between two projects (Nazareth Center and Saint-Étienne dispensary) of Fondacio Togo in Assomé, AsFoToDe responds to the challenges of local development in this area located 40 km from Lomé. The educational project specifically welcomes children from disadvantaged families, mostly illiterate, who are enrolled in neighboring schools. The action is structured around several complementary axes: regular after-school tutoring classes, access to a library/media library to develop general knowledge, financial support for the schooling of 50 particularly vulnerable children, and socio-educational activities enriched by ecological awareness. This holistic approach makes it possible to compensate for the shortcomings of the local education system and to offer personalized support to 140 children aged 6 to 15 years. The project faces major challenges in maintaining the quality of its services: acquisition of suitable school materials, enrichment of the documentary collection, and support for the teaching team.
SICHEM EDUCATION - TOGO
Founded in 1990 as an initiative of unemployed youth, Sichem has become a leading farmers' organization for sustainable development in the rural southeastern part of Zio Prefecture. The educational project addresses the considerable challenges of a region where the population of 50,000 is made up of 40% young people under 25, but where school infrastructure is dramatically inadequate, with classes reaching up to 180 students. Faced with this situation, where schools are forced to organize double-shift classes, the project is developing several strategies: promoting reading through a network of libraries and a traveling bookmobile, installing and equipping new school infrastructure, strengthening teachers' teaching skills, developing cultural activities, and training young people as citizens. Specific financial support is being provided to 15 young women to promote equal opportunities. The impact is considerable, with 120 primary schools, 28 middle schools and 7 high schools affected, or around 6,000 students and teachers benefiting from a lasting improvement in educational quality.
SUCCES+ - TOGO
The Succès+ Togo project targets children and adolescents in the Hountigomé neighborhood of Lomé, aged 7 to 18, from low-income families. Despite their schooling, many children experience significant challenges: poor command of French, learning difficulties, and a lack of support at home, as parents are often absent for financial reasons. The project aims to address these gaps by providing structured academic support, access to a library, and digital resource materials. Socio-educational activities enhance their personal development, while personalized psychological support addresses their emotional needs. The program also involves teacher training and parent awareness-raising, creating a cohesive educational ecosystem. With 48 children supported at the primary level, 37 at the middle school level, and 200 participants in socio-educational activities, the project is committed to ensuring sustainable, equitable access to quality education, mobilizing all stakeholders in the education system around the child.
Los Almendros Library - Chile
Located in the disadvantaged neighborhood of Huechuraba, north of Santiago, Chile, the Biblioteca Los Almendros, founded in 2002, is a vibrant space for educational and cultural support. It works in synergy with local stakeholders to support children, youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities through reading, art, and environmental education. It organizes recreational afternoons and academic support, activities in daycares and schools, reading workshops for all, and training for early childhood professionals. The project aims for sustainable social transformation by promoting inclusion and equal opportunities. With 669 beneficiaries, the library has become a key place for meeting, personal development, and intergenerational transmission in an area where access to educational resources remains very limited.
DHYA - INDIA
In the rural village of Rajagopalaperi, the Rajam Center, opened in 2014, meets a vital need: to enable children from poor families to access a full education and pursue diplomas leading to employment. The project, rooted in a vision of solidarity, has gradually grown to now accommodate 85 students in five classrooms, including a computer lab. It offers personalized support to promote success in the baccalaureate and encourages access to higher education through scholarships and post-baccalaureate support. At the same time, medical camps and adapted infrastructure strengthen the quality of the school environment. This educational project is becoming a veritable springboard to professional autonomy, in a region where future prospects are often limited by poverty and isolation.
Success + - Ghana
Since 2019, Fondacio in Ghana has been working in the Volta region, in southeastern Ghana, to improve the quality of education in a context of high social and educational insecurity. The project targets children aged 11 to 15 through tutoring, computer literacy, French lessons, and socio-emotional activities that promote self-confidence, expression, and self-esteem. By providing concrete support to children in difficulty, this project aims to improve academic success rates and strengthen their retention in the education system. The team also engages in community initiatives to raise awareness among families about the importance of education. With personalized support for 23 children to date, the project focuses on a human approach, rooted in local reality, and aims to expand its impact by strengthening its material and human resources.
IMPULSO
Through this component, our actions contribute to the reduction of inequalities and gender equality through professional training centers and entrepreneurship support for young people aged 16 to 25.
Our projects
SPARKS PROJECT - IVORY COAST
In the city of Bouaké, heavily affected by urban poverty and unemployment, the Les Étincelles project offers a second chance to young women and men without qualifications. Located in the working-class neighborhood of N'Gattakro, the Social Promotion Center offers training in sewing (3 years) and pastry (3 months), combining theory, practice, management, and fashion design. The project primarily targets women aged 15 to 45, who are often out of school, illiterate, single mothers, or stay-at-home moms. It promotes their economic and social independence by offering them a career, human support, and the opportunity to join a production workshop. With 30 sewing apprentices spread across three levels, and 20 pastry trainees per year, the project is rooted in a sustainable local dynamic that values female skills and gives hope to a population often excluded from traditional training programs.
IFF AFRICA - TOGO
Based in Lomé since 2002, IFF Afrique trains young people aged 17 to 30 to become agents of change in their communities. Since 2015, the institute has been developing innovative training in agroecological entrepreneurship, combining personal development (leadership, responsibility, creativity) and technical skills (sustainable agriculture, livestock farming, fish farming, renewable energy, agribusiness). The approach aims for the comprehensive empowerment of young people, with support for post-training integration. Each year, the program trains 30 to 40 young people from the maritime and plateau regions, as well as professionals aged 30 to 45. Through active teaching, practical modules, and stimulating community life, IFF Afrique contributes to the transformation of Togo's rural fabric through education, sustainability, and community engagement.
POLYTECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF SICHEM - TOGO
Faced with the lack of technical high schools in the southeastern region of Zio, the Sichem group launched the Sichem Polytechnic Institute in Kpomé-Dzogblakopé in 2021 to promote the socio-professional integration of young people from surrounding villages. The high school offers qualifying training in three fields: electricity/renewable energy, agro-pastoral, and masonry, with CAP and BT-type diplomas. In 2023-2024, 68 students will be trained there. The IPS offers quality education anchored in the real needs of the territory, with a pedagogy combining theory and practice, in workshops. It aims to make the high school self-sufficient within 2 to 3 years, while ensuring the stability of the teaching staff and strengthening technical equipment. The project embodies an effective rural training model, serving Togolese youth seeking a sustainable professional future.
YLDC POTOSI (BOGOTA) - COLOMBIA
In Ciudad Bolívar, a working-class district south of Bogotá, the YLDC Potosí has been providing educational support to young people facing poverty, school dropout, and social exclusion since 2020. The center offers comprehensive support: a life skills program (personal development and professional skills), a socio-professional orientation (OSO) program for high school students, and an entrepreneurial support program ("Parchando con Parceros") for young project leaders. Drawing on Fondacio's pedagogy (human values, responsibility, creativity), the center aims to help these young people build a viable and meaningful future. 370 young people are currently benefiting from these initiatives. The project plays a key role in access to employment, higher education, and empowerment in one of the capital's most vulnerable urban areas.
YLDC Vientiane - LAOS
Founded in 2016, the YLDC center in Vientiane supports young people from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds, often forced to abandon their education to support their families. It offers a six-month training program focused on personal development, basic skills (English, IT, human rights), and an introduction to organic farming. Frog farming and mushroom cultivation allow young people to acquire entrepreneurial skills while generating income for the project. A scholarship system encourages the pursuit of studies or skills training. The program also aims to limit rural exodus and emigration by offering concrete alternatives. In 2024, 18 young people will participate in the program, which promotes a holistic approach to integration, linking education, economic autonomy, and respect for the environment.
YOUNG LIVES DEVELOPMENT CENTER (YLDC) - MALAYSIA
Founded in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, the YLDC addresses the urgent needs of young migrants and refugees, primarily from Myanmar (Chin and Kachin communities), but also from Yemen and Bangladesh. Marginalized, without legal status or access to school, these young people aged 17 to 35 find at the YLDC a place of learning and reconstruction. The center offers English classes (language of integration), vocational training, cultural and legal orientation workshops, as well as training for teachers from the refugee communities themselves. The goal is to strengthen their skills to improve their living conditions and employability. By creating a network of partner organizations, the project supports integration, defends refugee rights, and builds bridges between communities. In 2024, 135 young people benefited from this innovative program, which focuses on dignity, resilience, and self-reliance.
YOUNG LIVES DEVELOPMENT CENTER (YLDC) - MYANMAR
Since 2016, Fondacio Myanmar has been developing training programs in Yangon and then Myitkyina for young leaders from rural areas, who are often excluded from the education system. The Young Lives program offers an 8-month training program divided into two modules: the first covers English, IT, professional ethics, and personal development; the second addresses leadership and social training, and concludes with an organizational internship. These programs, rooted in local cultural realities, allow young Catholics engaged in the Church, aged 17 to 30, to develop concrete skills and an awareness of their potential in a country where any form of commitment is viewed with suspicion. The project has already trained 47 young leaders despite an unstable political context, thus strengthening their resilience and their ability to act in their communities.
FOCUS
This program aims to provide support for the personal and professional development of young people aged 11 to 30 to enable them to give meaning to their lives.
Our projects
IFF AFRICA - TOGO
Based in Lomé since 2002, IFF Afrique trains young people aged 17 to 30 to become agents of change in their communities. Since 2015, the institute has been developing innovative training in agroecological entrepreneurship, combining personal development (leadership, responsibility, creativity) and technical skills (sustainable agriculture, livestock farming, fish farming, renewable energy, agribusiness). The approach aims for the comprehensive empowerment of young people, with support for post-training integration. Each year, the program trains 30 to 40 young people from the maritime and plateau regions, as well as professionals aged 30 to 45. Through active teaching, practical modules, and stimulating community life, IFF Afrique contributes to the transformation of Togo's rural fabric through education, sustainability, and community engagement.
IFF ASIA - PHILIPPINES
Founded in Manila in 2006, IFF Asia trains young Christian leaders from across Southeast Asia (16 countries represented) each year to become agents of change in their communities. The institute addresses the lack of comprehensive training combining faith, social engagement, and personal development, in contexts often marked by poverty and religious marginalization. The main program lasts 11 months (in-person), with a 5-month online alternative, and is followed by a 2-year field engagement. It covers socio-pastoral leadership, project management, intercultural awareness, and integral ecology. The goal is to train young people rooted in their faith, capable of leading sustainable social initiatives serving the most vulnerable. Fifty percent of participants come from poor rural backgrounds, sent by their local churches. Each cohort brings together 20 young people committed to a profound transformation of their environment.
IFF AMERICA - CHILI
Launched in Santiago, Chile, in 2014, IFF America aims to reduce inequalities in access to training in Latin America and the Caribbean by equipping young adults to become social leaders capable of developing solidarity projects adapted to their local area. The flagship program, DIRES (International Diploma in Resilience, Ethics, and Social Innovation), accredited by the Javeriana University of Bogota, and the PSI (International Social Program), in partnership with the Technological University of Calakmul (Mexico), offer training rooted in the realities of young people, who are often excluded from traditional pathways. Through a pedagogy centered on people, resilience, and community anchoring, the IFF trains 37 young people from 15 countries each year. The institute responds to a quest for meaning and social justice, enabling them to build a future that serves the common good.
