Supporting village children into school in Benin

We are pleased to introduce Christian, who has joined us as HATW’s local Field Coordinator in Benin. Chirstian recently visited the Chez Papa Geoff project to meet the team and to understand the current needs and priorities at CPG. The children performed a lively dance during the visit!

In his role as Field Coordinator, Christian will support key aspects of HATW’s partnership with CPG. Christian shares:

“My name is Christian Sankamaou, Field Coordinator for HATW at the Chez Papa Geoff orphanage in Affame. I hold a Professional License in Agronomy. I have previously worked with an NGO from Italy in support of orphans, and I’ve also worked as an animal production and breeding technician for three years on three farms in my community. In 2018, I was recruited as Executive Director of an NGO based in Djougou to lead a project on agriculture, in particular the promotion of market gardening, with potatoes, onions and tomatoes as the main crops. Since July 2023, I have been the Field Coordinator for HATW in Benin. I work with the staff at Chez Papa Geoff to support the collaboration between HATW and the orphanage. In August 2023, I made my first visit to the orphanage. It allowed me to get to know the project and to meet the staff who work tirelessly for the wellbeing of the orphanage’s vulnerable children. I am very happy to collaborate with HATW and I hope that together we will work to make the children at the orphanage happy by improving their living conditions.”

We are delighted to have Christian on board to enhance HATW’s partnership with CPG. Our current priority for the project is to support CPG towards sustainability, with a focus on promoting the development of the orphanage’s farm. Produce from the farm helps feed the children at CPG, with surplus produce sold at market to generate funds in support the project. With his background in agronomy, along with significant relevant experience, Christian is well equipped to assess the needs of the farm at CPG and to provide advice to help guide the farm towards increased productivity.

Following his visit to the project, Christian says of the farm:

“In addition to large production, we could do local market gardening, goliath chicken farming and fish farming. This will require investment. With market gardening, the centre will be able to have vegetables and many other market garden products such as tomatoes, okra, peppers, etc. To overcome the acidity of the soil here, we could add sand to the ground, and also look for fertile soil in the surroundings of the farm which can be transported for use at the farm. With chicken and fish farming, the centre will be self-sufficient in terms of animal protein. With increased production, we could also make sales to generate further funds for the orphanage. But to get there, it will be necessary to set up the infrastructure for livestock farming and for market gardening to produce off-season.”

We look forward to bringing you further news soon of our work with Christian and the team at CPG in helping the project towards greater self-sufficiency. Thank you so much for supporting this project, your generosity is transforming the lives of some of Benin’s most vulnerable children.

Every child at the Hands Around the World-supported Chez Papa Geoff orphanage in Affame has a unique story, and ultimately our work with the orphanage is about caring for the needs of each individual and nurturing their potential.

One story we’d like to share with you is that of Antoine. His father worked as a car mechanic and injured his arm. Within a month he had died of this injury, leaving a wife and five children, including Antoine who at 13 is the eldest child. His mother subsequently abandoned all the children, leaving them with their grandmother who lives in a house with only two rooms.

Antoine entered CPG orphanage at the suggestion of CPG’s Local Manager, Dieu Donne, to relieve Antoine’s grandmother and to ensure that he continued his secondary education. Antoine felt a great sense of responsibility towards his siblings and worried that, as the eldest child, he should be earning something to help his grandmother financially as she has almost no income. This responsibility weighed heavily on him, and Dieu Donne felt that he would not thrive without some outside financial support for his grandmother.

Everyone in Affame agreed that if he started work now, he would end up doing menial work and so long term, his education was paramount.

Hands Around the World now supports Antoine’s siblings so that his grandmother can feed them properly, and Antoine can focus on his schooling through the support provided by CPG, free of the burdensome worry about the situation of his grandmother and siblings. This outcome will undoubtedly improve Antoine’s career opportunities and earning potential when he finishes education, substantially mitigating the life-long impacts his challenging circumstances would otherwise likely have had. He is a bright, conscientious student and should do well.

Antoine is just one of the many children at CPG whose choices for the future are broadened and whose lives are enriched through the kindness and generosity of Hands Around the World’s supporters - thank you.