Approach

ASSEJA has adopted a holistic approach to development, ie, a comprehensive approach to development, with particular emphasis on children and youths. Operationally, this approach is seen at 3 levels: the level of children, level of parents and families, and the community in which these families live. This means that ASSEJA’s intervention is at three levels.

• Concerning the children and young people in difficulties, ASSEJA gives them a basic education, and at the same time helping them to learn a trade and exercise it. It is a life education, which is being taught in its visitor/training center in NYOMI II, and which can accommodate 100 youths at a time. As for the vocational training, it is done in the productive learning workshops, which have actually been set up by ASSEJA and in which the first youths who received vocational training, are training today training other youths; its is known as ASSEJA’s "solidarity chain." Vocational training is also done with craftsmen in private workshops according to the children’s choice of trade and the proximity the workshops to their various residences.

• At the level of the parents, families and groups, ASSEJA is convinced that it is very difficult for poor parents to take care of their children. That's why its actions towards them is principally aimed at organizing capacity building training to help them in organizational and material and financial managements as well as education through the Direct Fight Against Poverty support (ADLP). At this level, ASSEJA favours a long-term vision that translates into support for the productive sector through a support program for craftsmen, farmers, stock-breeders and for other income generating activities promoters. This is directly involves the identification and provision of support to groups through counselling, trainings and organizational matters in order to increase the profitability of their economic activities.

• ASSEJA’s third level of intervention concerns the community in which the underprivileged children or youths live with a view to improving their living environment. The interventions at this level are designed to sustainably improve the living conditions and activities of urban populations, by supporting the implementation of community micro-projects: accessibility into the neighborhoods, access to potable water, sanitation or improving social housing etc through capacity trainings on management and neighbourhood/organization mobilization and promoting a real partnership between local government and the civil society.

ASSEJA intervenes in these different levels through the following:
• Organization of educational and technical/practical training;
• Training / Awareness
• Study - Research - Monitoring
• Production of educational materials
• Advice and socio-professional guidance
• Social animation
• Participatory diagnosis
• Organizing excursions and exchange visits
• Advice to groups and animation
• Placing children in workshops for vocational training
• Supporting the creation of small-sized enterprises and self employment.
• Technical and financial support for the implementation of community micro projects.