What We Do

Priority Areas for Action

Standard Education

We provide formal preschool education for kids, followed by the three fundamental cycles up to ninth grade. The school implements the curriculum that was provided by the MENFP, the Ministry of National Education and Professional Training.

Vocational Training

The Institution Mixte Notre Dame de Lourdes, in collaboration with our partners, had provided training in plumbing, electricity, phone repair, floor tile installation, sewing, culinary and pastry, and cosmetology.

Family Rehabilitation

The children typically arrive after natural disasters, and some of them come from underprivileged backgrounds or have been victims of other forms of violence. Once the children’s biological family members have been identified after the children have lived in the home for a number of years, the institution starts the process of family reintegration, which is completed after several meetings and follow-up sessions with the parents to ensure this process is successful.

There are several scenarios: some parents are overjoyed to welcome their children into the family, while others, who already have several children to care for, are hesitant to accept their own children back. On the other hand, depending on the reason for his or her departure, the child may refuse to return to the abandoned family home.

Because there is no one else on earth who can unconditionally love their children, we at Notre Dame de Lourdes strongly support this process for the well-being and development of the reintegrated children.

Social Reintegration

In our history of welcoming and accompanying children who have become young adults, we have had several types of outcomes:

The first outcome is over-aged children who were not able to complete their secondary education due to learning difficulties and thus find a trade in which they excel. It should be noted that from the age of fifteen, all the children have access to vocational training at the institution. They become artisans or skilled workers who later entered the labor market to earn a living for themselves and their families. The second outcome includes other young adults who, after completing their secondary education, have the opportunity to attend university to learn a profession. These young adults integrate easily into social life and eventually manage to start a small business to support themselves and their families.

Development of Social Skills

Basic training that promotes children’s participation in group activities and external communication. It basically allows others see more of oneself. The kids regularly participate in team-building activities like soccer, volleyball, basketball, and karate while simultaneously discussing environmental concerns in the community. The community’s religious and cultural events are brought to life by our social and religious choir. The creation of a Leo club with the participation of several young people, a GRD club (risk and disaster management), a club for education on rights and sustainable development has aided the children’s social skills.

Promotional

The Institution Mixte Notre Dame de Lourdes is involved in several activities with our beneficiaries: chicken breeding (henhouse), agriculture (vegetable garden), peanut butter and jam production, pig breeding, goat breeding, and bread making.

Educational actions - Elementary school

Our Elementary School has an enrollment of 50 children. It welcomes children of the institution and also those who live in the surrounding areas in a very weak economic situation. The school operates from 8 a.m to 1 p.m. We have a pre-school section for little ones and for those from the surrounding areas. We have observed that many of our children are over-aged.