West Africa map

CFE Togo Coordinator

Daniel E. Nyadzawo is our representative in Togo. He is a believer and member of Togo Presbyterian Church. Daniel will be working with his local church Pastor Essovi F. Tsogbale who will oversee the programm. He will give us the feed back of cfe ministry in Togo from his Pastoral point of view. He will make sure that the support is use as it is intended. Pastor Tsogbale is also the Director of a School called " College Protestant d'Agbalepedogan de Lome."

Please pray for Daniel Nyadzawo and Pastor Tsogbale Essovi, as they step out for this ministry in Togo.

Pray also for this kids ( 20 kids for this year).

Nyadzawo: o5 B P 514 Lome Togo. Office (228) 2213331 or 2214001 Pastor Tsogbale: P O Box 81134 Lome Togo. Office (228) 2252375

Africa's Children ( from BBC news)

"In Africa, children are every where you would expect them to be but one- in the classroom. You encounter them at all hours of the night and day congregated at airports and in hotels. They are much in evidence along the roads walking aimlessly, usually in groups of the same age. Girls often have smaller children strapped to their backs or at their feet. They are also a large part of the work force- carrying, spinning, cutting, cleaning, polishing. They are doing a lot of things but few are studying. Many are fighting the continent's wars.Ishbel Matheson reported on the state of education in Zambia at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal in April of 2000. Zambia was cited as representative of the conditions existing on the continent. "The number of children enrolling in government schools at the lower primary levels has dropped over the past decade. Classrooms are often dilapidated and overcrowded, and teachers are badly paid and lacking motivation… Many of the poorest families cannot afford the fee charged by government institutions, so they have set up community schools where children are taught for free. But the conditions in these schools are even worse. There are often no books, no pens and pencils, no desks, no blackboards, and the teachers are untrained and unpaid… The HIV/Aids pandemic is also taking its toll. Last year, more teachers died of Aids than passed through teacher training."

"What has brought Africa's Children to this unconscionable condition?Education ministers from around the world met in Johannesburg to examine this question. They discussed why plans to give every child in Africa a place at primary school are falling so far short of that aim. Ten years ago universal primary education by the year 2000 was promised to every child worldwide. Today one-third of the children missing school are African. The goal has been reset to be reached in 2015. "In sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that 40m children are receiving no education at all - nearly half of all those of school age. It is predicted that this figure could rise to 60m by the year 2015, as enrollment rates are falling." Even those lucky enough to find a seat are without books, " In rural Tanzania, when children do go to school, 30 of them could be sharing a single textbook." Jane Standley a BBC correspondent believes that Africa will be left behind as the global economy increasingly demands a new set and standard of skills and knowledge.

Ticky Monekosso in Benin describes the trafficking and selling of children within West Africa."There are growing signs that economic pressures and persistent poverty in Africa are leading to a resurgence of the traffic in child slaves. These children are for sale in West African countries as both domestic and commercial labor and also for sexual exploitation. Until recently this trade has been largely seen as a phenomenon of war-ravaged societies such as Angola, Sudan, Somalia or Chad - where even 10-year-old girls are servants and concubines at rebel military bases. But now, even in relatively peaceful areas the traffic is growing. Countries in the front line of this trade include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Nigeria and Togo... the increasing need for paid work in modern West Africa is eroding the traditional values of communities that once placed limits on the abuse of children. Brokers scout for children among poor families in rural areas in Benin and Togo. Some of these brokers say they kidnap children simply playing outside or who have wandered into urban areas. Others say they persuade parents that their children will receive a professional training or a good education with a wealthy family. Receiving a little cash… then corrupts most of the parents. The journey is always dangerous and many children die in transit… Once in their host family the children receive no money. They are bonded to the traffickers or to the person to whom they are sold… They work very hard from early morning to late at night to pay off money owed. They face very harsh living conditions and are unable to see their families… A significant number run away from their employers. Unable to return home and unable to find alternative employment many of them resort to prostitution, washing cars or collecting fares on mini-buses… In one instance the Benin authorities found 400 children aboard a boat anchored in Cotonou harbor, itself an historic slaving market. In July 1997 Benin police arrested five West Africans preparing to ship them to Gabon. Police said the children, some aged only eight, were bought from families for the equivalent of about $30… According to investigators, more than 30 children are crossing the Benin-Nigeria border every two months. Of them 95% are girls intended for domestic work, half are under 15 years old. Some of these girls have attended primary school but very few have attended junior or secondary school and 45% have never been to school… A special child slave stock market has long been common in the Marche du Plateau- a popular market in Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire where relatively wealthy local women come to buy their 'helpers'.

Vision of CFE

CFE (Christian Foundation for Education) Give financial and spiritual support to children and youth who are impoverished to help them achieve a SOUND EDUCATION. Objectives:

1- To promote education for children and youth. 2- To financially and materially assist children and youth in their efforts to attend school. 3- To find and connect sponsors with children and youth. 4- To be friends with children and youth. 5- To donate books, schools materials, etc...

6- To present the Gospel to children and youth. The starting point for this ministry are in the following countries of West Africa: Togo, Benin, Burkina-Faso, Niger, Senegal, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Mali.

CFE International long term vision and mission:

1- The original vision, objectives and mission are not going to change. 2- CFE international will own their Schools, colleges and educative programs in order to help this poor kids. 3- The curriculum of these schools and Colleges will: - Include the normal national curriculum requirements. -Give to our students fundamental Christian education. -Prepare our students to enter adulthood already living Biblical worldview. - Help our students to be good leaders for our nations ( Politics, Churches, Business…) 4- CFE will start self-supporting activities like farming, micro-projects activities… and then also integrate it as a tool for education. The example of ECHO ministry is going to be helpful and can be use as a tool for education and self support for CFE : http://www.echonet.org/ 5- The self-support aspect of this ministry will help our students at the end of their studies to start their adulthood with financial support to their carrier, job or small business activities. We need to start in the future CFE Financial Cooperative only for this purpose.

6- Another specific focus will be with Children Soldier integration into normal society.

Contacts If you want to know more about CFE or if you want to help in our cause, please contact us: CFE

3679 Montana St.

St. Louis,MO 63116

cfe_education@yahoo.fr

For financial or material donations please send your contributions to : New City Fellowship 1142 Hodiamont St Louis, MO 63112 ncf@ncfstl.org www.newcity.org