PARTAGE avec les enfants du monde was founded over 50 years ago out of a revolt concerning the fate of the youngest in Vietnam. “Seeing that children on the other side of the world could be victims of wars and conflicts created by adults gave a militant strength to our organization,” says Yolaine Guérif. “This is what drives us even 50 years later, trying to fight against the injustice that children face simply because they were born in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Thus, the NGO operates in 17 countries around the world, including France, with a holistic approach to children's rights. Education is the entry point. However, PARTAGE also systematically addresses issues of nutrition, health, works with the community on its economic and socio-economic development, tackles inequalities between girls and boys, and focuses on children with disabilities, as well as the consequences of climate change, since the most affected countries are not those that caused it.
“Our uniqueness lies in systematically working with national and local NGOs in the countries where we operate, who know the legislation very well, have access to the children, and are there for the long haul. Of course, we provide direct assistance to the children impacted by our actions, but we also ensure that a local and national civil society is present to maintain a connection and strengthen this civil society that acts closest to the children,” emphasizes Yolaine Guérif.
Nearly 220,000 children are supported worldwide across these 17 countries, in just over 500 schools. Globally, there are approximately 272 million children who are out of school, according to UNESCO, and just over 35 million children suffering from malnutrition. “So as soon as a citizen, a state considers that this state of inequality is unacceptable, international solidarity is a way to help reverse these trends. It also allows us to witness, to show, to act on these inequalities. Therefore, we are strongly convinced that by acting in our international solidarity programs, we have an impact on the direction our world can take tomorrow,” concludes Yolaine Guérif.
