2009 Return to Benin; Abeni Dormitory Underway

Keeping a promise to return to visit Benin within five years of my departure, I booked a return trip (accompanied by Sarah) to Benin in June of this year. Dhyne, Nady and I had lost touch over the previous two years while I was completely absorbed in my MBA program, but they had prepared a surprise. Remembering my pledge to return they had- unbeknownst to me - been working to construct the dormitory in anticipation of my return. Had I given him more than three weeks notice of my arrival, they probably would have finished it.

Instead, they have made great progress. Project Abeni now has an expansive compound on the outskirts of town, down the road from the soon-to-be-completed new high school where all the girls will attend. A one-story building features (or will feature) a large cafeteria and kitchen, latrines and flush toilets, and eight large dormitory rooms, which will house four girls each. The compound is prepped for expansion: a second story can be added at any time, and there is also sufficient space in the compound for significant horizontal expansion. In the next five years, Project Abeni plans to double the number of girls they assist to over 60.

Why is the dormitory so essential? It has been part of Dhyne and Nady's vision since the second year of the project, when they realized that even if they provided full support to their program participants, at the end of the day the girls go home. And at home, they are expected to bear the lion share of household chores. While their brothers are allowed to study, the girls work. With the dormitory, parents must sign a contract when their daughter joins Project Abeni that during the school year they will live in the dorm and not be burdened with chores at home. Their time will be dedicated to study. Of course, the girls will do chores on site, helping to maintain the building and the grounds.

Besides the girls, there will be an adult female chaperone living on the premises, and a guard who will have his own residence near the compound's front door.

The dormitory was made possible through the generous contributions of friends and family members back in 2000 while I was still a Peace Corps Volunteer, thanks to my mom's outreach (see post titled "Project Abeni and Peace Corps").

Dhyne, Nady and Naima, a current volunteer, peering through the gate at the construction in progress

Dhyne, Nady and I stand in front of the dormitory


On the roof: the building is constructed to allow for a second story to be added easily

Dhyne and Nady in one of the dorm rooms

The kitchen and cafeteria

View of the outer compound wall

Project Abeni Intro; Peace Corps service

While serving as Peace Corps Volunteer in Djougou, Benin, I discovered an incredible organization called Project Abeni, which assists young girls to stay in school despite strong financial and cultural pressures that might otherwise force them to drop out. Thanks to Project Abeni, girls' education became a major area of focus for me during my second year, in addition to my work in small enterprise development and microfinance.

Project Abeni was founded by Dhyne NOUA and his wife Nady in 1999 after the death of their young daughter Abeni. Abeni, a gifted student, had been receiving educational assistance from friends in Germany. After her death, Dhyne and Nady decided to put those resources toward assisting other young girls to realize their potential. Over the years the organization grew with the generous support of Help Alliance in Germany as well as the personal resources of Dhyne and Nady. I arrived in 2001 to find Project Abeni with 25 students.

The organization provides broad support to children from difficult circumstances. Most of the kids are orphans or come from families in destitute poverty. Many of the girls would have otherwise been taken out of school and married off, and in a number of instances, Project Abeni has negotiated with parents to rescind plans for forced marriages, a still common practice in Djougou. All the students have shown academic aptitude in passing the primary school exam to pass into our equivalent of middle school. The project covers the students' school fees (about $15 a year), tutors, books, school uniforms, one nice pair of clothes for project functions, soap to clean their uniforms and clothes, and a stipend for lunch.

In addition to providing technical assistance and operational support to Project Abeni, I fundraised for the organization with the assistance of my mom, Mary. Friends and family generously donated over $13,000 for the organization, which my parents brought with them on their visit to Benin in the fall of 2002 (pictured above with Dhyne, Nady and some of the kids).

With the goal of bringing more students into the project and the hopes of one day constructing a dormitory for the girls, Dhyne and Nady expanded operations to over 30 students, purchased land for the dormitory and put the rest in a bank account to await the proper time for construction (see next post "2009 Return to Benin" for update).