It has only been a few years since the Ivory Coast's five year civil war ended but political tension and instability have remained with an ongoing stand off following recent presidential elections. Infant and under five mortality rates are among the highest in the world and violence against children is built in to the culture there.

The war has seen poverty levels soar with over half the population living on less than 60p a day compared with just 10% in 1985 effectively multiplying those in poverty by tenfold in a single generation and of the 9,780,000 children living in the Ivory Coast, some 420,000 are orphans as a result of AIDS, and 52,000 children are infected themselves. Life expectancy stands at just under 57yrs.

You can make a difference when you sponsor a child in the Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire):

www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk

There are also some other charities who work with communities in the Ivory Coast:

www.charitywater.org