Expected results 

• Development : more books, magazines, educational games, more opening hours, more cultural activities and more girls attending the library.
• Autonomy: progressive integration into the library network of Benin until full appropriation of the project by local authorities.

Your financial support

• Purchase of African books, in French and Fon (Beninese native language), in bookstores in Cotonou, Benin (average of $15 per book)
• Salary of an employee responsible  for the opening, maintenance, inventory and attendance statistics since 2008 (30,000 CFA francs per month, approximately $70 CAD)
• Salary of a new employee responsible of cultural activities and the implementation of programs that encourage more girls and women to attend the library(30,000 CFA francs per month, approximately $70 CAD)
• do-it-yourself material
• Library management stationery
• if funds are available, we support living expenses of Canadian volunteers who come working on site
• There is also a 15% administration fee for the Canada-Africa Community Health Alliance. Income tax receipts are automatically sent for donations of $20 or more!

Your donation of books, magazines, and educational games

• contact the project leader to find out what your specific needs are at this time: anniedesnoyers@yahoo.ca

The library to date

• more than 2,300 books and 1,000 magazines
• educational games
• do-it-yourself materials
• open from 9 am to noon and 3 pm at sunset (no electricity), from Monday to Saturday
• free entrance

A brief History

• 2008 : founded by Catherine Dallaire and Josée Gauthier with a local committee composed of Martial Gandébagni, Aimé Tougan, Julien Akpandé and Eugène Delidji
• 2014: resumption of activities on the Canadian side: Annie Desnoyers became the new project manager
• between 2014 and 2016: the number of books doubled
• 2016: reorganization of the project funding
• 2018: Hiring of a new employee (now 2 employees)

A Unifying partnership

• donations from local authorities: building, shelves, road signs, signs
• Canadian donations: books, magazines, games, salaries, tables, stools, benches, shelves, chairs
• donations from the Beninese diaspora (coming soon)

Francophonie

• Benin, just like Canada, is one of the 21 founders countries of the international Francophonie in 1970.
• French is the only official language of the country (language of administration, justice, education, business).
• On a daily basis, French interacts with nearly 60 national languages, including Fon in the southern part of the country, as in Cotonou and Aklampa.

The Aklampa Community

• 18, 000 inhabitants
• 3 nursery schools
• 6 elementary schools
• 1 high school
• no running water or electricity in general in houses and buildings

Benin (Source: Unicef)

• Population of 10 million, of which 5 million are under 18 years old (2015)
• Boys' elementary school attendance: 72% (2012), 77% (2014)
• Girls' elementary school attendance: 68% (2012), 73% (2014)
• Boys' secondary school attendance: 49% (2012), 50% (2014)
• Girls' secondary school attendance: 40% (2012), 38% (2014)
• Literacy for young men (15-24 years old): 55% (2014)
• Literacy for young women (15-24 years old): 31% (2014)
• Life expectancy: 59 years (2012), 60 years (2015)