Benin Holistic
Development Projects
Children's Education
We are currently supporting children in the villages of Benin to do their best educationally.
We have assisted about 180 children with educational supplies from ages 2 to 17. Over 100 of them received supplies for the school year. We are also developing a library for the children to have books they need for school.
Here are some statistics concerning the condition of children:
Education: Most only have a primary school education. Many children do not get a secondary school education. Many village children after primary school work on farms.
Gov’t spending on education: 3% of GDP
Note: Education is key to getting out of poverty.
Children's Outreach
46% of the population of Benin are 14 years old and under.
Malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare and education, and lack of attention offer little hope for the development of children.
The conditions above make them susceptible to human trafficking.
Through the Gloria Sutherland Children's Fund, we assist over 300 children in spiritual, educational, health, and social development.
We develop materials that the children may use in their own culture. We are also feeding all of the children when they attend outreaches (find out more).
Literacy
The literacy rate is 38.4% in Benin. Many cannot read the Bible and literacy is necessary to grow in the Word of God and to function in a nation that is becoming more and more affected by urbanization.
LILC is working to bring literacy to adults and children left out of the educational system. We are also training literacy teachers to make a greater impact.
Discipleship & Leadership Development
Through our Bible Institute and Life Empowerment initiative, we are forming disciples and developing leaders to reach their communities, so that they will also form disciples and train leaders for the kingdom of God. This includes:
Bible courses
Practical community development training
Educational development, and
professional development.
Financial assistance is needed to assist in our Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 training sessions.
Women's Empowerment
Empowering women through these initiatives:
Prayer
Language and literacy training
Social network building
Professional development
Business development
Skills training
Health and hygiene awareness
Also, there is a need for matching grants to strengthen the village savings and loan program women from 12 villages started as a result of going through our empowerment initiatives.
Village Economic Development
The level of poverty is 38.5% below the poverty line. The poverty line in Benin is much less than in the US and Europe. less than $2 a day). These villagers are subsistence farmers like the ones we serve.
To assist the villages, we take them through a series of practical community development sessions. This has allowed them to develop starting with their own resources.
One village has partnered with a local nonprofit to build an agricultural transformation center (see their story). However, the equipment they could afford is a low-capacity, decades-old milling machine. They also are still doing much of the labor by hand and children who should be in school are still working the fields.
Funds are needed to purchase higher capacity, machines for producing, flour and oil, and other agricultural goods.