Cargill Celebrates Opening of Orphanage in Cote d’Ivoire’s Soubre Region
An orphanage, funded by Cargill, has been officially opened by Pierre Douhou MBA, Cote d’Ivoire’s Director of Cabinet for the Ministry of Family, Women and Child. This much needed orphanage will accommodate up to 60 orphans from across the country providing them with a safe and secure home, as well as improved access to education and healthcare.
Speaking on behalf of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business, Yves Onghen, Training and Project Coordinator explains: “As part of Cargill’s Sustainable Cocoa Program, we strive to make a lasting difference in the rural communities where we live and work. For this project, we have worked with local non-governmental organisation ‘Compassion Esther’ to respond to the pressing need for safe housing for children in Soubre.”
The project was commissioned by Cargill in 2010, following the discovery that local woman Mme Ouedraogo had taken twenty two orphans into her own home. As a direct result, Cargill built and furnished this new orphanage.
Mme Ouedraogo, Director of Compassion Esther, will manage the orphanage and explains what this place will mean to the children: “We are giving these children hope and an opportunity to dream. I am confident that by providing them with a roof over their head and a safe, loving home we will strengthen their confidence and help them fight for a better future.”
The Cargill Sustainable Cocoa Program is working to secure the long term sustainability of cocoa production and to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and their families. Cargill has been training Ivorian cocoa farmers for more than 10 years and today helps tens of thousands of farmers increase yields, improve quality and adopt more sustainable practices.
Additionally through its partnerships with CARE and the IECD, Cargill is improving access to healthcare, drinking water and renovating schools in 10 communities in San Pedro and Daloa. It has also renovated over 40 schools to provide education and practical farming skills to help young people improve their employment prospects.
