Emmaüs AFA is an association created in 2002 and joined the Emmaüs International movement in 2004.
The Association of Women Friends (AFA) implements solutions for women and children in vulnerable situations.
Emmaüs AFA
Contacts
+229 96 14 75 99
Our History
The Women Friends Association was established in 1998 by a group of women outraged by the marginalization of women and children in Benin. These women aimed to become actors in their own development and autonomy and thus set up training activities and skill enhancement as well as mutual aid groups.
In 2004, AFA joined the Emmaüs International movement.
Our Activities
Women's Empowerment
The Zè Alternative Education Center
Located in the commune of Ze, our education center offers a real alternative for children facing difficulties: early marriage, marginalization, family breakdown, etc. The center welcomes children, mostly girls, particularly vulnerable who wish to build a future through education. The center offers vocational training in sewing, hairstyling, and literacy courses in local languages and French so that, in the end, the children are capable of starting their activities to generate income and meet their needs.
Sewing Training
Hairstyling Training
Literacy in local language and French
The AFA association offers, in their Zè center, a solidarity canteen, that is, a free meal per day for all their students.
A boarding school, able to accommodate about ten young girls, is currently under construction, thanks to the support of the Abbé Pierre Foundation, and is expected to open in the coming months.
This activity aims to develop the skills of children and awaken their interest in the usefulness of new technologies in their professional lives.
Digital Education Center
Digital Holidays
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In partnership with the France Nord-Bénin association, we set up libraries and provide school manuals that we collect in France, in various rural schools. These libraries constitute real places of work and access to culture and education for children.
With the implementation of this project, the students' results have seen a significant increase, allowing students who are struggling to have additional study times specific to their needs.
Library for All
The training titled "Computer Holidays" takes place over two months, July and August, in the premises of the association, in Womey, with a trainer. The training is offered for free, it is aimed at neighborhood children, whether they are in school or not, as well as those from nearby schools. At the end of this training, the children receive a certificate, a document that proves their diligence, their skills, and which strengthens their applications with future employers.
The Bric-à-brac
The "Bric à Brac" is the economic income source of the association. Thanks to the support of the Emmaüs group in France, particularly Emmaüs Saumur and Emmaüs Angoulême, the store is stocked with second-hand items: clothing, toys, furniture, kitchen utensils. The items are brought by boats in containers that are delivered to the port of Cotonou and then transported to the premises of the association. The sale of these items helps to finance the projects of the association as well as to pay the staff.
Social & Solidarity Economy
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Emmaüs AFA supports women's groups in vulnerable situations (single women with dependent children) to start or develop an income-generating activity so that these women gain autonomy.
Women's Community Empowerment Program
Emmaus AFA offers them both financial support and training to help them develop their skills.
The income-generating activities these women are trained in are diverse, usually based on local know-how; the production of palm oil, corn or cassava paste, the distillation of sodabi (palm liquor), or the production of traditional soap; all these activities use local raw materials and promote a circular and solidarity economy.
Particular attention is given to the complementarity between the activities: they must all meet a community need and allow for a diverse offer of products and services.
Currently, the empowerment program has been halted due to a government reform in May 2022 on microfinance. Waiting for new directives, the association continues to support women through its economic activities.
Our Projects
The Bric-a-Brac activity is fundamental to the association since it is currently our only income-generating activity. Thus, we wish to reorganize the store, which is relatively small, to facilitate sales; and make our store more visible to increase our sales.
We would like to transform our traditional bakery into a solar bakery, which would allow us to generate additional income to support the activities of the association and offer a bakery training module.
Reorganization of the Bric-a-Brac into a solidarity store
Renovate the traditional bakery into a solar bakery
Develop the Ze Alternative Education Center into a Vocational High School
We aim to expand our alternative education center so that it becomes a vocational high school.
Therefore, we have plans to:
Diversify the training offer by providing courses in integrated agriculture, carpentry, and computer science, which requires recruiting competent staff, building the necessary infrastructure, and purchasing the required equipment.
Construct a cafeteria, a study center, and a library.
Develop a vegetable garden and a mini-farm, which would both raise students awareness of agroecology and the environment and also allow the school to be selfsufficient.
We wish to expand our digital center by introducing a new component: "digital relays." The aim of this project is to develop and enhance the computer skills of rural area inhabitants. Through these digital relays, these populations will have access to computer equipment and training.
Digital Relay Project
Develop the Ze Solidarity Canteen
We aim to expand the solidarity canteen to offer 3 meals a day to students.
Our association is made up of men and women who are committed to actively contributing to the development of generations. Raising awareness and passing on the values we all share and apply in our daily lives.
Xavier ZENI
Accounting Secretary
Monique OGOUDARE
Coordinator of the Ze Educational Center
Our Team
David GBADI
President of the Board of Directors
Hilaire TOSSAVI
Head of the Digital Center
Basilia AGOSSOU
Officer in Charge of Social Affairs
Our Partners
