Giving the opportunity of a new start to youngsters. This seems to be the leitmotiv of the Georges-Charles Foundation. Founded in 1976 at Pointe-aux-Sables, this non-governmental organisation (NGO), which operates as a day-care centre, caters for children over 12 years old that no more attend school. Within this organisation, which has become like a ?second home? for the ten or more volunteers, the young ones are given vocational training courses. A new building will be inaugurated on Thursday, thus enabling the Georges-Charles Foundation to welcome more young people. Thanks to the Barclays Africa Community Support Program, which has been financing the project for up to Rs 2,3 millions.

?We could no more welcome any other youth as there was a lack of space. With this new building, we will solve our main problem,? says Gisèle Ithier, who has been managing the foundation since its creation. The new building will enable the NGO to have two more rooms where part of the training given to the children will take place. Gisèle Ithier was awarded, early this year, the Volunteer Award, by the United Way organisation. Always the first to arrive, Gisèle makes it a point to welcome all the children ? whom she considers as hers ? in the morning. As the volunteers say, all they want is to make those youth independent enough to earn a living.

The beginnings, as often, were not effortless. The building, which houses the foundation, was in the early 1980s in such a poor condition that it had to be evacuated. Huge renovation works had to be carried out but were stopped shortly after because of lack of funds. In order to obtain the money needed to continue the construction works, those in charge of the foundation decided to create a farm in which rabbits, ducks and chicken are bred. ? A part of our production was sold to raise funds for the running of the foundation,? explains one volunteer.

That was not enough though, and soon the organisation opened a shop annexed to the main building where craft products, made by the children, are sold. The latter are very proud of their work. ?This is a way for them to learn a job,? explains a volunteer. Appealed by the tenacity of this NGO, some sponsors came forward to give it financial support.

All the children attending the Georges-Charles Foundation, says a resource person, come from very low-income families, which cannot afford to send them to school. Most of them, however, have attended primary school and know how to read and write. Operating as a day-care centre, the Georges-Charles foundation manages to welcome the children and provide them with various courses and training depending on their interests in subjects like agriculture, farming, sewing and craft.

Two Indian volunteers, who have accepted to give some of their time to the foundation, are teaching this last course. The NGO has been largely solicited during the past few years by the very low-income families who have found in it an opportunity for their offspring to train for a job. No doubt that the years to come will be full of challenges for the Georges-Charles Foundation.