Founded in 2004, Fondation Les Enfants D'Abord (English: The Children First Foundation) was set-up by a group of young people aged 15-22. The Foundation promotes the rights of children in accordance with the UN declaration on the rights of the child. Its main goals are to promote young artists and to protect vulnerable young people in CAR. The organisation has offices in Bambari, Bria, Bozoum, Kaga Bandoro, Mbaiki, Bimbo , Bégoua, and Bossangoua.

Main projects

• Identification of out-of-school children in the capital. This project aims to create a database of children who are out of school in order to sensitise their parents to the benefits of education and the problems associated with missing school. If parents don't have enough money to send their children to school, the organisation will ask its partners to provide financial support in order to help. If an identified child is an orphan, the organisation will work with schools to accept them as students and will also work with it partners to ensure financial support for the child. Since this project was established the Foundation has identified over 3,000 children.
• The sensitisation of child soldiers and street children. This projects teaches children to understand their rights and to help them to take better decisions for their future. The foundation also helps direct them towards other sources of help for children trying to leave militias or work on the streets. The project has helped over 2,000 children.
• Itinerant book club. The Foundation has recently created a book club. The project is launched in partnership with the Alliance Française, the body which promotes French language and culture abroad. This is a new project, and so far 150 children in the capital have benefitted.

Major achievements

The Foundation's main achievement has been its acceptance by militia groups and the leaders of certain armed group. It has helped many children return to school from life on the street. These children live in a specialised support centre, the SOS village d’enfants (SOS Children’s Village).