The story of M, a 10 year-old Ivorian girl

M. is in the fifth grade, and lives with her mother, who sells medicines at the market in Yopougon. On Wednesday, a day that she didn’t have school, the girl went to deliver an order to two craftsmen working in a nearby building. That delivery was the worst moment of her life. When she arrived, the two men grabbed her and took turns raping her. A man heard her screams and came to the rescue. He fought with the two men so that M. could escape. M’s grandfather turned to our partner in Ivory Coast, the DDE-CI (Dignity and Rights for Children in Ivory Coast), to request medical help and legal support for his granddaughter. M. has been receiving medical care and counseling. The two young men were arrested. Our partner DDE-CI will continue to assist the family until justice is served, enabling M. to move forward with her life. Every day, around the world, cases like this occur. We need to work together to prevent them.