Cargill opens orphanage

11 June 2012 – An orphanage, funded by Cargill, has been officially opened in Côte d’Ivoire.

This orphanage will accommodate up to 60 orphans from across the country providing them with a safe and secure home, as well as improved access to education and healthcare.

Speaking on behalf of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business, Yves Onghen, training and project coordinator explains, “As part of Cargill’s sustainable cocoa programme, we strive to make a lasting difference in the rural communities where we live and work. For this project, we have worked with local non-governmental organisation ‘Compassion Esther’ to respond to the pressing need for safe housing for children in Soubré.”

The project was commissioned by Cargill in 2010, following the discovery that local woman Mme Ouedraogo had taken twenty two orphans into her own home. As a direct result, Cargill built and furnished this new orphanage.

Mme Ouedraogo, director of Compassion Esther, will manage the orphanage and explains what this place will mean to the children: “We are giving these children hope and an opportunity to dream. I am confident that by providing them with a roof over their head and a safe, loving home we will strengthen their confidence and help them fight for a better future.”