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 Kindjissi Houndjah expresses her joy at having her daughter, Hainou Akouvi, back at home and attending school. |
"We have to end this practice of vidomégon because it hinders the development of our children." Kindjissi Houndjah was talking about the practice whereby poor, often rural, families place a child, primarily a daughter, in the home of a wealthier family generally in larger cities such as Cotonou and Porto Novo. Kindjissi has firsthand knowledge of this practice: she sent her daughter, Hainou Akouvi, to live with a cousin in town. Faced with financial difficulties, Kindjissi would now have one less mouth to feed and her cousin promised to send Hainou to school. Kindjissi's cousin never sent Hainou to school. When some of the members of the local Association of Students' Mothers (Association des Mères d'Elèves or AME) noticed that Hainou was no longer at home, they approached Kindjissi to find out what was happening. They explained to her why it was important that all of her children have the opportunity to go to school. With the financial help and moral support of the AME, Kindjissi was able to bring Hainou home where she is now a primary school student. AMEs are a major strategy of the USAID-funded Civic Action in School Environment (CASE) project. The CASE project aimed at increasing women's involvement in school management and promoting girls' education. Vidomégon, a major problem in southern Benin, is just one of the reasons for a gap between girls' and boys' enrollment in primary school. Other reasons include child trafficking, especially to neighboring countries, and early forced marriage. The AME's sensitize families on the importance of educating all of their children. When mothers notice that a child is absent for an extended period, they mobilize to ensure the return of the child and his or her re-enrolment in school. The mothers talk with the parents to convince them to bring back the child and often raise funds to help pay for the child's return. |
As Parents' Associations (Association des Parents d'Elèves or APE) are often dominated by men, the AMEs provide a forum for women to participate in school management. Rather than see the AMEs as a threat, the APEs often welcome the efforts of the AMEs, especially regarding increasing the enrolment of girls in school.
"The mothers are the ones who are on the scene and able to convince girls to return to school," says Aplahoué APE President Louis Enni Tinguougoui. AMEs also initiate income generating activities to pay for school improvements, community teachers, and student lunches, among others.
The success of the CASE approach has been widely recognized. Other donors, NGOs and even the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are developing similar initiatives. The goal of all of these schemes is to increase the number of girls like Hainou who attend and complete primary school enabling them to contribute fully to Benin's development.
For more information contact USAID-Benin
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