Capital: Porto Novo
Area: 112,620 km²
Population: 7.5 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Fon and Adja, Yoruba, Bariba and Somba
Official language(s): French
Religion(s): Animism (Voodoo), Islam, Christianity
Currency: 1 CFA franc = 100 centimes
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
Because of the acute need for care facilities for orphaned and abandoned children in Benin, SOS-Kinderdorf International, represented by Otto Brönnimann, first contacted the relevant authorities in 1982. An agreement was signed between the government of Benin and SOS-Kinderdorf International in January 1985. As a result, the government gave SOS Children's Villages a plot of land in Abomey-Calavi, about 17 km from the country's largest city, Cotonou. First of all, six family houses, a kindergarten and a primary school were built and could be completed in September 1987.
The first children moved into the new family houses in SOS Children's Village Abomey-Calavi in October 1987, together with the village director, Mathias Chadaré. Five more family houses were completed by 1990. The SOS Kindergarten and SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School attached to the SOS Children's Village were also able to open their doors in October 1987. They mainly offer children from the neighbourhood a sound education.
The idea for a second SOS Children's Village in Benin came about as a result of the particular problem that the country has with children being cast out for traditional reasons of belief. This was in 1994 and a location was chosen in the north of the country. Thus, the SOS Children's Village Natitingou, complete with an SOS Kindergarten and an SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary School, was constructed between 1997 and 1999. In August 1996, SOS Children's Villages in Benin was founded as the legal body for carrying out the SOS Children's Village work in the country. The lack of educational facilities in the country led SOS Children's Villages to increase the schooling options in Abomey-Calavi. A higher secondary school was set up which specialises in arts and music; both of which are very important in West Africa and, in particular, in Benin. The two SOS Children's Villages being in the far south and far north of the country and the demand having been still very big, a third SOS Children's Village project in the countries' centre, namely in Dassa-Zoumé approx. 200 km from Cotonou, in 2002. Construction of the third Children’s Village in Benin was terminated by the end of 2005. The village includes an SOS Kindergarten, an SOS Hermann Gmeiner School and an SOS Social Centre. Starting with 2004 SOS Children's Villages Benin started to operate Family Strengthening Programmes on SOS Children's Village locations. The aim is to enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Benin works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
The north of Benin in particular is very much affected by poverty – money for food, education and medical care is missing. SOS Children’s Villages Benin tries to relieve this precarious situation with its existing SOS Children’s Village facilities. In addition it has been decided to built an SOS Medical Centre on the site of the SOS Children’s Village Natitingou and to extent the SOS Children’s Village by two family houses.
At present there are three SOS Children's Villages in Benin, two SOS Youth Facilities, three SOS Kindergartens, four SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, four SOS Social Centres, one SOS Medical Centre and a regional mother and staff training centre. One SOS Medical Centre is currently under construction and will start operation soon.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Benin
(available in English, French and German)