PETIT DAN & SARAH
Foundation
Every child is love
ABOUT
An inspiring story
The name of the Petit Dan and Sarah Foundation comes from a traditional Cameroonian tale about two abandoned children. Sarah, the older sister, sacrifices her childhood to take care of her little brother Dan, a turbulent and sometimes violent boy. Wherever they were welcomed, they were offered food and drink. However, once he had finished his meal, Dan would systematically break his spoon and cup, leaving his sister to calm his tantrums. At the end of the story, a question is asked: What was little Dan missing? The answer was simple and universal: he needed love. This story symbolizes the spirit of solidarity and love that drives our mission.
Our mission
The Petit Dan et Sarah Foundation is a private, non-profit social organization. It is an educational and social action center dedicated to the welcome, supervision, education, and well-being of orphaned and vulnerable children. We offer a warm living environment and personalized support to each child to enable them to grow up in the best possible conditions. We work to safeguard and protect children. All employees and members of the foundation must adhere to the code of good practice.
History
Founded in 1982 by Joseph and Marie Madeleine ZINGUI, the Foundation was first established in one of Yaoundé's most disadvantaged neighborhoods, in Elig Edzoa. In 1986, the foundation was recognized by the Ministry of Social Affairs as a private non-profit social organization. A year later, the foundation was granted a larger site located in the Yaoundé suburb of Soa, in the village of Okoa. This land became the foundation's permanent site and was gradually developed to build a true refuge for children. For over 42 years, our team has worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for children. In 1993, the Okoa Primary and Kindergarten School was created within the foundation's site, allowing the most disadvantaged and local children to benefit from an education.
Discover videos made by former collaborators of the Petit Dan and Sarah Foundation in our gallery:
For who ?
Petit Dan et Sarah welcomes and supports all children and young people facing social and family difficulties, whose living conditions do not promote optimal emotional, material, and affective development, and who need love and support. These include orphans, semi-orphans, children living or having lived on the streets, children affected by divorce and/or chronic parental discord, and children from families severely impacted by poverty. Petit Dan et Sarah also supports families living in extreme poverty, helping them strive for a better life for their children. Currently, the organization cares for around thirty children aged 3 to 23.
Our actions
We offer a stable and caring family environment through:
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Education and training: Our school (Okoa PNS) is open not only to children living in our institution, but also to children from the neighbourhood, who generally come from poor families. Despite free public nursery and primary education in Cameroon, many children still do not have access to education, as their parents can hardly afford to pay certain fees that are still required and to provide them with books and school supplies. Some children start the school year but are unable to finish it due to the extreme precariousness of their family situation. Petit Dan and Sarah therefore created this school to give priority and equal opportunities to children experiencing social and family difficulties.
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Academic and professional support: Monitoring youth in their academic and professional life.
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Accommodation and supervision: We offer a real home and a structured family environment, with the aim of preparing the children and the youth for an independent adult life.
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Access to basic healthcare
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Food aid: in addition to providing three meals a day for children living at the social centre, Petit Dan and Sarah also supports several families in difficulty to meet their children's nutritional needs.
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Psychosocial support: Support for children, families in difficulty and women in highly precarious situations.
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Various workshops for quality human and academic training: reading, writing, IT, farming, agriculture, cooking, etc.
Our values
The Petit Dan et Sarah Foundation is based on fundamental principles:
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A family spirit: The founders, collaborators, donors, and former and current children and youth of Petit Dan et Sarah form a large, supportive family, united by love and mutual support. Each member, past or present, is an ambassador for the foundation. Today, the family spans every continent: we are proud of this diversity.
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The Right to Love: One of the founding couple's main commitments was to ensure that every child enjoyed a family-like environment. For Marie Madeleine and Joseph, a child's first right was the right to love! Marie Madeleine thus made it her credo: "EVERY CHILD IS LOVE."
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Welcome, Sharing, Humility : Our motto and our daily commitment. Welcome is at the heart of our work: every child who walks through the doors of the Foundation finds a refuge. Sharing is a fundamental value that guides our initiatives: sharing our time, resources, knowledge, cultures, and experiences with children and friends. We warmly welcome the many friends, visitors, and donors who come to meet our community, thus fostering a true exchange between peoples. Finally, humility reminds us that our role is to serve and support with respect and kindness, recognizing the dignity and strength of each child we help.
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Rejecting poverty as inevitable : We believe in the possibility of a better future for every child. Every day, we work hand in hand with our partners to improve children's living conditions.