A vulnerable teenage girl who had been living on the streets of Abengourou has received a lifeline from a local NGO, after being found in a precarious state and later giving birth to a baby girl.

Zenab, a 17-year-old minor, was discovered on April 18, 2025, at a bus station in Abengourou, where she had been sleeping for several days.

Exposed to serious risks including assault, illness, and sexual violence, her situation quickly drew the attention of Action Internationale pour le Développement Durable, l’Éducation et la Santé (AIDDES), an NGO that works across Côte d’Ivoire in support of at-risk communities.

With no financial support and no fixed address, Zenab was in critical need of intervention.

The organization responded immediately by dispatching its Secretary for Women’s Empowerment to ensure she was safely taken into care.

On the directive of AIDDES’ president, she was transported to the Adjamé Social Centre in Abidjan shortly after the Easter weekend.

“Thanks to our partnership with the Ministry of Child Protection, Zenab received the full assistance she needed,” an AIDDES official said.

Between April 22 and her eventual return to her home region, Zenab was monitored and supported by government social workers.

Authorities helped locate and contact her family—including her father and the father of her newborn—both of whom reside in the Abengourou area.

Surrounded by relatives, Zenab safely delivered her child at the Abengourou maternity hospital. On June 25, AIDDES returned to the region to present her with essential food items and other basic necessities as part of their ongoing support.

This act of compassion has brought renewed hope to a young mother who, just months ago, had faced life alone on the streets.