Fınd some activities we have done to Transform our Communities

Day 1: September 17, 2022, Bassila and Manigri 

School kids from poor families across the commune of Bassila received school kits this weekend of 17 and 18 September 2022. The generous gesture comes from “Educ4All”, a grassroot initiative that strives to make quality and equitable education accessible to all. 

In his statement, Mamadou AFFO, General Treasurer and representative of the President of Educ4All, reminded all the attendees and the beneficiaries of the urgent need to address the challenges kids face to get basic education. Indeed: 

“Like other communes and regions in Benin, the commune of Bassila is confronted with innumerable problems for kids to access basic education due to a combination of a crying lack of means and the will to send them to school, and even more so to support them throughout their school years. This results in school dropouts, juvenile delinquency and, ultimately, major issues that, if not urgently addressed, would constitute a serious threat to the sustainable development of our municipality in particular, but also of our region and even of our country more broadly. 

• Aware of our responsibility to safeguard social cohesion, and 

• Aware that the future of our municipality is threatened by the lack of adequate education, 

We, at Educ4All, have spared no effort to make our contribution to help address these challenges. Thus, to make the start of the school year 2022-2023 beautiful in its own way, Educ4All is accompanying the needy learners by offering them school kits. They are a total of one hundred and thirty-five (135) recipients we carefully identified in the four districts of the Bassila commune. 

The school kits are composed of school supplies as well as documents accompanying each the program level. These documents are recoverable at the end of each school year so that other beneficiaries can use them. 

Dear kids, be assured that from now on you are not alone because, through Educ4All, we are committed to accompany you in your educational journey for a better future so that you will be the fruit of “every child we teach”. Your determination and your commitment to succeeding in your studies will be the building block to always expect our continued support. 

Educ4All, through me, wishes you a great start to the school year 2022-2023. Make good use of the documents at your disposal. 

Thank you.” 

Some reactions from the attendees and beneficiaries 

• Abdou Laïssi DOSSA, Director of EEP IKANI B is delighted by the initiative: “We hope that such gestures will continue so that in the future, Educ4All will be able to name some of its beneficiaries as great leaders of tomorrow.” 
• Mounirou KOLAWOLÉ, President of the office of the Parents’ Association (APE) of the CEG1 of Bassila observes: “The fact that there is a grassroot initiative that thinks about the education of our children will make our children have a taste for education and school. They will learn better when they receive kits like this, there will be competition now in the classes (between students). Those who did not receive these kits today will also come to work and compete with you. So, when you go back, know that you have your friends who will work hard to take your places. So, what are you going to do? Keep your seats, don’t mess around and what I’m going to ask you, your cell phones don’t use them during the school year, that’s the first thing. If you leave your cell phones, I am sure that you will be so serious to be able to face the school year and by the grace of God you will succeed.” 
• Abdou Latif AKIMEY, Director of EPP Mèlèmèlè, concurs: “We would like to thank Educ4All and all its members who, from near or far, have thought of the needy children, in other words the children of the poor, and who have wanted that, if it pleases God, these children will be the children of tomorrow. We also want these kids to know that people are thinking about their future.” 

As for the beneficiaries, they intend to do better in the years to come. 

• My name is Chakour Beaugoss GOMON, I am a student at the CEG2 Bassila and I am in the 4th grade. Tonight, we are at the youth center, we received kits from Educ4All. I am very happy to have received these documents because I have my little brother who will be going back to school, my dad will take care of him and I will use the documents that I received. I am very happy that this initiative thought of us by offering us these school kits. So, I would like to sincerely thank you!” 
• My name is Oumou Charkiya AKIMEY AHMED, I am a student at CEG1 Bassila. I am in the 3rd grade and I am very happy to receive these gifts!” 
• My name is Mourad IDRISSOU. I am in the 3rd grade. Today, we were given these school kits. We thank Educ4All and we pray to God that next year we will still be among the beneficiaries thanks to our efforts. Thank you very much!” 

This closes up the first day of Educ4All’s two-day activity that saw it cover the districts of Bassila and Manigri. Next up are the districts of Alédjo and Pénessoulou tomorrow Sunday, September 18, 2022. 

Day 2: Alédjo and Pénessoulou 

The handing of school kits to kids from poor families across the commune of Bassila ended this Sunday September 18, 2022, in the districts of Alédjo and Pénessoulou. The delegation of Edu4All was received in Alédjo by the representative of the chief of the district of Alédjo, Mamam Sani ALIDOU OLAKOURA dit Onana. 

Abdoul Hanane YABARA, a notable of the royal court of Alédjo gave his impressions: “Any gesture of donation deserves applause and recognition and it is in this sense that we are very grateful to the Educ4All.” “I think that Educ4All has taken up the government’s objectives in education by making education accessible to all. Thank you to this initiative and we think that we, parents of students and our children, understand the meaning of Educ4All and will accompany our children so that the objective of the NGO is achieved”. 

The delegation led by the Treasurer General Mamadou AFFO and Abdou Samadi AKIMEY then headed to Pénessoulou, where parents and beneficiaries were waiting at the Youth and Leisure Center of Pénessoulou. 

Kassimou FOUSSENI, chief of the district of Pénessoulou, was the first to make a statement: “Dear representatives of Educ4All, Mr. Aziz, Mr. CV of Pénessoulou, I sincerely want to thank you for all that I saw this morning here in Pénessoulou. It is true that I received this information yesterday evening, and the Mayor called me to ask for my availability to receive you. This really shows that we attach importance to what you want to do today. The NGO knew how to choose by really helping these children who are need. I think I will pray that this NGO can help them to the river, even if it is full of water that they can cross it so that tomorrow will be good for these children. So, dear parents, I hope you can witness the effort of Educ4All that has made it easier for you by saying “stop digging your yams early, stop selling your maize early I am here to help you.” 

“Dear schoolchildren, do you see how people are determined to help you? That’s why I invite you to work harder. You have to do more than what you did before and today you are recognized. Some people, because of this, go to higher classes. I pray that all of you work hard at school so that in the coming years you can benefit from these gifts and always go to higher classes.” 

“Dear leaders of Educ4All, once again I thank you for this gift that I came to see and I assure you that the report will be made to the Mayor.” 

The local councilor Aziz and the chief of the village of Pénessoulou expressed his satisfaction and addressed the children and their parents: “I am happy to see such a gesture in our commune because it will help boost education in our commune. I would like to sincerely thank the Educ4All for all that it has started because our commune needs it. For the beneficiaries, I would like to tell you to make good use of the documents that are given to you because they have become documents of public order because there are books that you will leave to your young brothers and sisters who will come after you. So, I ask you to use them properly so as not to damage them. To the parents, I would like to ask them to follow their children rigorously so that they can advance so that others can benefit more. I would like to invite the parents once again to follow the children so that next year, many other students can benefit from it.” 

“I am very happy for the gesture that Educ4All has just made because it comes to relieve the parents of students for whom each beginning of the school year becomes a headache. Really, we are very happy and on behalf of the parents I thank you and all those who participated in this event to be a total success. And we pray for a long life to this initiative so that in the years to come it can go to colleges, why not to universities, why not scholarships so that the commune can have brave people, doctors like the president of Educ4All and I thank you journalists for what you do every day for the promotion of our commune.” 

All the best to Educ4All in the commune of Bassila!