‘Off to school’ – Schoolchildren in Ivory Coast

For us it is a matter of course that after the kindergarten children start school. Going to primary school and learning to read, write and calculate is quite normal in Europe and many other countries. Unfortunately, this is not the case in developing countries.

Many poor families do not send their children to school. Partly because of the annual fees for enrolment at school, and partly because children are supposed to contribute to their families’ subsistence. The fees that must be paid annually for each school (primary and secondary schools), for each child, are an enormous financial burden for poor families. In addition to the enrolment fees, there is also the cost of schoolbooks and exercise books. For this reason, it is not uncommon for children to be sent to work instead of school.

We at Impulse for Change e.V. want to support these families so that the children can go to school and learn to read, write and do arithmetic, thus giving them the chance for a good education and a better future. Education is the strongest weapon against poverty, and we want to help to break this vicious circle.