Cape Verde Urged to Raise €6 Family Allowance for Children
The West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) has issued a sharp call to action for the Cape Verdean government, urging an immediate review of the country’s meager family allowance and an expansion of social protections for its youngest citizens.
In a comprehensive report submitted to the African Union (AU) committee monitoring the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, WACSOF highlighted that the current monthly allowance of 700 escudos (€6.35) per child is insufficient to meet basic needs. The forum’s recommendation is one of 45 proposals aimed at strengthening the safety net for children in the archipelago.
Closing the Coverage Gap
Currently, social cash protection reaches only 47.8% of children under the age of 14. WACSOF is pushing for a formal timetable to raise this figure, with a specific focus on reaching girls and children living in migrant or informal households who often slip through the cracks of the current system.
Bernardino Gonçalves, a member of the national team that authored the report, emphasized that financial strain on families has a direct impact on child welfare. “Social vulnerability affects the mental health of parents,” Gonçalves told Lusa, noting that resilient children require stable, supported families.
The High Cost of Education
While Cape Verde boasts a high school attendance rate of 97.3% for those aged 5 to 17, the report identifies a worrying trend among teenagers. Approximately 11.9% of youth aged 15 to 17 are out of school, primarily due to poverty and early pregnancy.
Barriers to education start even earlier for those in rural areas. Following the closure of several rural schools, children as young as four are reportedly walking up to two hours to reach a classroom. For those who cannot walk, private transport costs around €30 per month—a prohibitive expense for vulnerable families.
To combat this, the forum recommends extending the national school transport program to include pre-school and basic education students in remote areas to ensure no child drops out simply because they cannot afford the commute.
Protecting the Most Vulnerable
The report also calls for urgent action on child homelessness and exploitation. Key recommendations include:
- Conducting a nationwide census of children living on the streets.
- Expanding day center networks to provide supervised care during out-of-school hours and overnight options for those in need.
- Establishing a legal “no exceptions” minimum marriage age of 18 for both boys and girls, covering all customary and religious practices.
With children under 17 making up one-third of Cape Verde’s population (approx. 165,370 people), WACSOF argues that these investments are vital for the nation’s future. This report marks the first time Cape Verdean civil society has formally contributed a complementary report to the AU’s state review, a move advocates hope will become a permanent fixture in the country’s human rights monitoring.
Image: Pexels – Victor Ebeku
