The West African Network for the protection of children (WAN) is a network of child protection advocates across the west African sub-region. In west African several tens of thousands of children are estimated to be in need of special protection, especially from abuse, human trafficking and slave trading.often considered by traffickers as mere goods, thousands of children are taken each year from the poorest regions towards more prosperous economic center. Among the causes of this mobility in West Africa, those most often sited are poverty, lack of prospect and degradation in environmental condition, these are the factors that drive many children including increasingly younger ones to succumb to the promise of good education, a better job in a neighboring countries or beyond. The deficiencies in the educational system or the lack of any such system, as well as certain culture values and practices, also contributes to the inciting these children to set off in search of better life.
Weather during their travel or reaching their destination, many of them end up falling victims to enforced labor, begging, military conscription (child soldier), prostitution etc, while some succeed in returning home, many are unable to do so, thus adding to the number of street children in west Africa cities. it is within these contest that the work of the ISS and its partners becomes particularly significant.
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| STCI STAFF AND ONE OF THE BENEFICIARIES DURING THE MONITORING VISIT IN NORTHERN NIGERIA |
MONITORING OF WAN BENEFICIARY IN HER SHOP IN NORTHERN NIGERIA |
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| PRESENTATION OF THE WAN STANDARD TO THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE IN SOKOTO COMMAND BY THE WAN NATIONAL COORDINATOR | REINTEGRATION OF 4 VOLUNTARY RETURNEES TO NIGER REPUBLIC |
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