They settled in a neighborhood called Ouezzin, an expanding area of the city. The nearby Savannah area is crossed by several rivers. On those riverbanks crops are cultivated then sold in the city and are exported to Ouagadougou. The Salesians carry out social activities designed to create a sense of family among the most vulnerable children and those most at risk of social exclusion.
Bobo Dioulasso is the reference point for many surrounding villages; children, youth and adults are in search of better living conditions. Especially there are many children, abandoned or sent by their family into the city, in the hope of a better future. But that accentuates the phenomenon of street children in Bobo-Dioulasso.
Most of them come from rural areas; They have left school or have not had the chance to enter it, and spend their childhood, adolescence and youth, hoping only to find means to survive.
And they end up living on the street, doing drugs, stealing, or are involved in prostitution, begging or exploitation. The situation of girls is particularly severe because many end up as domestic slaves, subjected to whatever exploitation and abuse, deprived of all their rights.
The Salesians have given their response in Bobo-Dioulasso. They began to work in favor of children for 4 years, creating a space where child welfare is implemented for children in difficult situations. The home accommodates 30 children, who are offered a place to sleep, food and medical care. And, if possible, they are assisted in reuniting with their families.
