IVORY COAST

DON’T FORGET THEM ASSOCIATION

Don’t Forget Them Association use sport - especially football to reintegrate homeless or formerly homeless adults, street children, youth, people displaced by war, prisoners, and other groups of people in difficult situations. Football is used to help them off the streets, and also to improve lives of prisoners who might otherwise lose their focus and motivation.

ORGANISATION DETAILS

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PARTICIPANTS

Young people, homeless or formerly homeless people, people displaced by war, in economic difficulty, and prisoners and ex-prisoners.

LOCATIONS

Abidjan, Koumassi, Port-bouet, Marcory and Treichville, Abobo, and Yopougon.

Country statistics

166 out of 189 in Human Development Index rankings (UNDP, 2023)

Average annual salary per person $2,470 (World Bank, 2023)

34.8%% of people live below the poverty line (WFP, 2024)

Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), is located along the North Atlantic coast of West Africa, is home to an estimated population of approximately 32 million (Worldmeters, 2024). Rich in natural resources, the country has historically been one of West Africa’s wealthiest nations. However, political instability and conflict have significantly hindered its development, impacting both its economic growth and social stability. These challenges are not unique to Côte d’Ivoire but are part of a broader trend across the African continent, where ongoing violence and unrest continue to drive large-scale displacement.

In 2023, Africa witnessed the highest number of new internal displacements, with 35 million individuals including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) seeking safety. That was nearly half of the global total and three times more than in 2009 (IDMC, 2024). 1.1 million people were internally displaced in Côte d’Ivoire between 2008 and 2024 (IDMC, 2024).

Since the beginning of 2024, Côte d’Ivoire has seen the forcible eviction of tens of thousands of people from their homes, often carried out with inadequate notice and, in some cases, accompanied by violence (Amnesty International, 2024). These ongoing displacements further exacerbate the challenges facing a nation already struggling with the impact of political unrest.