Actions in progress

The CIDE has three types of actions: investigations, partnership actions and special cases.

1 - Investigations

One of the specificities of CIDE is to conduct investigations into violations of children's rights. These investigations have contributed to the Foundation's reputation.
For obvious reasons of discretion we cannot give precise information about the ongoing investigations, but we can already say that we are in the process of collecting data and evidence on a person of Swiss nationality, or even a group of people who have criminal activities abroad.

2 - Actions in partnership :

Rwanda

In Rwanda, we support the association IJABO-RYE (formerly "New Breaths") whose goal is to help single mothers become autonomous through training (sewing or basketry) and by providing them with materials to start their business.
Presentation film of IJABO-RYE

In April 2021, a first group of 10 women has completed a sewing training and has already succeeded in forming a cooperative called "l'apaisement" which ensures their autonomy.

The basketry workshop opened in August 2021 and has been a great success from the start. Some of the women registered in this workshop do not hesitate to walk for hours to learn traditional basketry, an ancestral art in Rwanda.

The founder of this association, Ishongore Karemera, is a social worker of Rwandan origin who has lived in Switzerland for a long time. She recently returned to Rwanda to participate in the development of her country traumatized by the conflicts.

When Berthilde gave birth to her daughter, Mireille, she was rejected by her family. Today "IJABO-RYE" offered her, after the training, a sewing machine that allowed her to work with the cooperative "l'apaisement". She is already autonomous to provide for her daily needs. Until now, the schooling is paid by the association, but she hopes to increase her clientele to be completely autonomous soon.

 

Congo

In the Congo, the Kivu region has enormous mineral wealth, a source of very violent conflicts. The population is often the victim of massacres and rape is used as a weapon of war. Raped girls may be HIV positive and are rejected by society. Even children have been raped: the aim is clearly to banish them from society. Out of shame, these children do not even dare to go to school and are doomed to live as outcasts.

The CIDE wishes to help the priest Leonardo Kamalebo who had to flee the Congo and who is currently a refugee in Switzerland. He continues to help his fellow victims, especially children, by seeking accommodation with families far from the place of rape.

Brazil

In Brazil, in Salvador, financing of school material for the Janete Abreu dos Santos school which is cruelly lacking in means.
Our referent is a journalist who has been working with CIDE since 2000 and who recently became involved in helping this school located in a poor neighborhood.

3 - Special cases:

The CIDE generally takes quick, concrete action, but it also takes long, more discreet action in very complex situations that cannot be resolved quickly and that sometimes require follow-up for years.

First example:

A mother arrived in Switzerland with her son when he was 6 years old, today he is 19.

CIDE has supported them for all these years and still follows this family to this day with support in the form of advice, support or financial assistance.

Telling her story:

The mother arrived in Switzerland with her child who had been severely abused. When we met them, she was living with her son in hiding in Geneva. The child no longer spoke, he was walled up in his silence. The recently deceased psychiatrist, Gérard Salem, a friend of the CIDE, took charge of the child and his mother. At first, the child agreed to talk to the mother and the psychiatrist, but not to anyone else. Then, after several months, the child began to talk to the people around him.

This child, who is now a young man, has finished his studies with a baccalaureate. He would like to start an apprenticeship in a manual and artistic profession. CIDE follows him and helps him in his search for a job in training. This young man has also blossomed in music and plays an instrument in a band.

Another example:

A mother left Guyana with her child who was allegedly molested by her father. The mother did not report the matter to the courts because, she says, the father is protected by important relationships. She feared that she would be accused of slander and risk losing her custody rights.

Finally, the mother lived in hiding abroad with her 3 year old daughter, until she was arrested in South America and extradited to Paris. It was discovered that the child, then eight years old, was suffering from cancer and that her condition did not allow for a transfer to Guyana near the father. The mother is on probation.

This mother contacted the CIDE at this time, as she had difficulty finding accommodation and was unable to visit her child in the hospital due to a lack of funds to cover her travel expenses. To this misfortune, administrative problems were added because the father, who had obtained custody of the child, asked the hospital to limit the mother's visits to the child. The child asks to see his mother more often, unfortunately no discussion is possible.

For this situation, CIDE sent a volunteer member of its organization to Paris. Financial assistance was immediately given to the mother. CIDE covered the legal fees so that this mother could see her child freely in the hospital. A sad reality.

After a few weeks, we learned that the child died in the hospital and that her mother was able to be present for her last moments... The father did not come to the funeral.

Unfortunately, we have many sad stories of this type that illustrate the importance of CIDE's actions.

We want to continue to fight against the injustices that affect children.

If you wish to support the actions of the CIDE you can visit the donations page. Our actions depend on your support...

Thank you.