There are stories that motivate us to make our dreams come true, to get up in the morning and to believe that everything is possible. They seem like from a fairy tale, but they are real.
Just like the story of Sylvain. He lived alone on the street for more than three years, strolling with his friends through Lomé´s bars and restaurant in the evening looking for something to eat or a place to stay, rest, or fool around. Sylvain knew her well the difficulties of life. Because life was not nice to him like it was not for most children who live on the street.
“I still remember the evenings when my friends and I had nothing to eat and had to go through the garbage when the restaurant closed at nightfall because we were chased away during the day like animals or bandits or even wizards that bring bad luck “says Sylvain. The hardest thing for the 15-years old boy was seeing the other kids go to school every morning. Sometimes he hid under the classroom windows to listen to the teacher teaching and to feel like any other child for a moment.
He dreamed of going back to school. A short time later he met our educational team, which reminded him of an important act: he is a child like everyone else and like all his peers he has the right to an education and the opportunity to develop his full potential. This encounter was the turning point in the boys´s life. On his first day with us was Sylvain fearful and shy.
He almost expected to be chased away as usual. But instead of the well-known rejection he was warmly welcomed in our day center “Djena” He quickly became a regular. He was particularly interested in the “alternative school” took part in reading lessons as often as possible, did math exercises and enjoyed learning games. He spent hours reading and doing exercises. He was eager to take as much knowledge with him as if he wanted to make up for lost time. “He was always one of the last leave “ says Christophe, social worker at the daycare center “DJENA”.
Today thanks to the family-reintegration program from Hälsa International Togo is Sylvain living with his family again and going back to school as it should be for children of his age. Despite the school break lasting several years is Sylvain one of the best student in his school. He just passed his first school graduation with flying colors to the astonishment of his proud mother who said he needed more time to get back into the system. Sylvain worked with zeal and great enthusiasm from the street back to school.
Many children who live on the streets feel like Sylvain: They need someone who believes in them and gives them a second chance so that they can enjoy their childhood to the fullest and later become responsible adults.
Giving children who live on the streets access to education and health care and then to bring them from the street back to their families– that is the work that Hälsa International Togo does every day. But not only that: We want the children to believe in a better future, to work towards the fulfillment of their dreams and goals to finally write stories that end with a “happy ending”.