Porcelain jubilee of La Chaîne de l'Espoir: 20 years of hope for children

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Extract from the article: As part of the celebration of its porcelain jubilee, La Chaîne de l'Espoir (CDE) organised on 21 April 2023 in Lomé, a cocktail party with its partners. The aim of this celebration is to shed more light on the achievements and concrete actions of...

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As part of the celebration of its porcelain jubilee, La Chaîne de l'Espoir (CDE) organised on 21 April 2023 in Lomé, a cocktail party with its partners. The aim of this celebration is to shed more light on the achievements and concrete actions of La Chaîne de l'Espoir in Togo and Benin over the last twenty years. This jubilee is placed under the theme "Smiles regained for a sustainable human development". The event was attended by the French Ambassador, Augustin Favereau, the Togo - Benin head of mission of La Chaîne de l'Espoir, Espoir Datchidi, and other representatives of La Chaîne de l'Espoir partner institutions.

This celebration was an opportunity to present the results of the actions carried out during these twenty years of existence in Togo. "It has been twenty years that we have been working alongside the Togolese government for the benefit of vulnerable populations, especially children. The Chain of Hope has been involved since 2002 through two programmes, including a surgical care access programme and a school health programme. We have carried out 14 missions with more than 3000 children consulted and 1500 operated on.  On average per year, more than one hundred (100) children are operated on during the missions, thirty (30) children consulted in ECHOES (remote consultation of children suffering from heart disease), at least twenty (20) children suffering from heart disease sent to Senegal and France for treatment", said Espoir Datchidi, Head of the Togo - Benin mission of the Chain of Hope. 

The school health programme covers five areas, namely nutrition in schools, medical care for children, access to information and capacity building for school actors, access to water, hygiene and sanitation infrastructure and equipment, and strengthening school governance for health promotion.  This programme aims to develop a healthy, protective and motivating environment in partner schools in order to improve the learning conditions of pupils. He added that over the past 20 years, 14,651 vulnerable pupils have been sponsored and 23,494 are supported in the school canteen.

Education and health are key sectors for development and the NGO La Chaîne de l'Espoir has been able to identify areas of intervention that are in line with the government's roadmap. The French ambassador, Augustin Favereau, in his speech, thanked La Chaîne de l'Espoir for the actions carried out in recent years in favour of vulnerable children in Togo. He congratulated La Chaine de l'Espoir to "continue its work which brings smiles to the population, especially to vulnerable families". Augustin Favereau reiterated his commitment to support the CDE in achieving its objectives in line with the Togolese government's development policy.

During the dinner, some beneficiaries gave testimonies of the actions of Chain of Hope in their lives and communities. "My story with Chain of Hope started in elementary school. It sponsored my schooling and allowed me to have a health check-up. In the fourth grade, I was diagnosed with glaucoma. Today, thanks to the Chain of Hope, which sent me to be trained in Braille writing, I got my degree in private law. I thank the Chain of Hope for giving me hope", testified Fousseni Nibombé, a beneficiary of a CDE programme.  Activities on the programme of this porcelain jubilee include the Tohoun fairground, early detection of learning disabilities, and the Race of Hope at Kégué stadium.

La Chaîne de l'Espoir is a non-profit association of general interest founded in 1994. La Chaîne de l'Espoir was established in Togo in 2002. Based on a global approach, centred on the child but also on mothers and disadvantaged communities, it intervenes in more than 30 countries and aims to strengthen health systems in order to give everyone, and in particular children, the same chances of survival and development.

Raymond Dzakpata