Issue: Lack of access to education & training
In rural Benin, only one in two children who start first grade finish primary school. These children often begin farming at an early age, their incomes tied to seasonal factors such as weather, market prices, and productivity.
- Only 55% of the rural population attends primary school
Program: Education & Youth Development
Through our education program, we fund school fees, supplies, uniforms, and required immunizations for children from impoverished families who would not otherwise be able to attend school.
Methods:
- Scholarships for school fees, supplies, uniforms
- Subsidizing nutrition and healthcare via Care for Children & Families program
- Subsidizing legal birth certificates, the required documentation to attend school
Projects
Scholarships
We provide scholarships to children in need. Tuition in Benin is generally about $50 per year for public school education. This is often more than the monthly salary for many families. In addition to scholarships, we provide school supplies for children that cannot afford them. The cost for supplies can often run to nearly $50 as well – uniforms, tailoring, gym clothes, shoes, books, immunizations, and more.
School Supplies Program
CAEES has been providing school supplies to disadvantaged children in. Ouèssè since its founding in 2008. Many children in the region are not in need on a scale of those that live in the children’s home, but still have difficulty finding enough money to pay for their books, notebooks, pens and pencils. CAEES funds this program that assists about 50 children each year. In 2012, we provided school supplies for 62 children.
Camp Espoir
CAEES organized and hosted the inaugural Camp Espoir in June 2011. The goal was to provide a space for boys in secondary school to learn about social issues that greatly impact the region, including gender inequality, child trafficking, and lack of educational opportunity. The boys were encouraged to seek every opportunity to succeed and make their communities better places for all to live.
News Stories
2012-13 Educational Initiatives
School Supplies for Less Fortunate Children
