The Next generation

Sustainability is at the heart of all the work Elavagnon undertakes. The most critical element of sustainability is our people. Kantos is the heart and soul of Elavagnon on the ground in Benin and, in addition to all the good work he does for the women and girls of his community, he is also an educator and mentor to others that want to contribute to the development of Benin. In 2017, Joao Hounlimassou, the youngest son of Sara's host family during pre-service training in Azove, approached Elavangon for help financing a small business he wished to start. Elavagnon does not fund individual enterprises that do not have a social mission of women's economic empowerment, so Joao was advised to seek Kantos' counsel. Together, they were able to reimagine Joao's ideas into a registered non-profit, cooperative organization that includes 43 women. Their organization is called "Association des Jeunes pour le Développement de l'Elevage et des produit Maraîcher" (AJDEM) or "Youth Association for the Development of Livestock and Market Garden Products" and their mission is to see the emancipation of African women through economic development and literacy.

Animal Husbandry

The raising of rabbits as a source of dietary protein is growing in popularity in Benin. Twenty-eight members of AJDEM completed a course on raising rabbits and have begun their business with the purchase of 24 rabbits.

Composting

Similarly to other organizations associated with Elavagnon, the development and marketing of composted waste for the fertilization of fields is an important part of AJDEM's activities. This is an activity is so important for 3 reasons:

1. It can be started without any initial expenditures because they use common household materials to collect, process, and distribute the compost. As they sell the compost, they can reinvest the proceeds into the business and purchase dedicated and more sophisticated materials.

2. By collecting normal household and market waste to transform into compost, the organization is performing an important health service for the community. There is no official waste removal service or sanitary waste sites, so waste is at best an eyesore, but often a breeding ground for malaria-carrying mosquitos or worse.

3. A lot of farmland in Benin has been depleted of its natural nutrients over time. Industrial fertilizers are expensive and not in the long-term best interests of the soil. Naturally composted organic waste is far more economical and environmentally sustainable way to improve the quality of the soil.

Literacy

In the hierarchy of human needs, physiological needs are first - food, water, shelter - and safety are second - security and health. In poverty-stricken areas of the world, many people are in a vicious cycle where they are missing one or more of these elements and that impedes their ability to obtain the resources or skills to improve their situation. Many of the women we work with never had the chance to go to school. Their lack of basic literacy makes them unable to participate in the formal economy or access basic services like healthcare and banking. But women with the economic freedom provided by the income-generating activities listed above have a greater capacity to pursue adult literacy programs. Since its formation in 2017, 5 women from AJDEM have completed a basic literacy workshop. A small, but important first step.

Click here to support this and other initiatives that promote the economic empowerment and educational enrichment of the women and girls of Benin!