The primary goal of Emmaüs Pahou is to assist the most disadvantaged by offering an inclusive welcome for better social and professional reintegration and to act directly on the immediate causes of poverty.

Contacts

emmauspahou@gmail.com

+229 97 57 23 43

VONS Cyclone
01 BP 3622 Cotonou

EMMAÜS PAHOU

Logo position
Logo position
Logo mail
Logo mail
Logo téléphone
Logo téléphone

Our Story

Emmaüs Pahou was founded thanks to Isidore de SOUZA, then Coadjutor Archbishop of Cotonou, in a health center created on a destitute lacustrine archipelago. He met three members of the executive committee of Emmaüs International in 1990 in Benin. Highly interested in the experiences of Emmaüs communities around the world, he went to live incognito in the Emmaüs community of Montbéliard in France. Upon his return, the Archbishop created a work community, based on agriculture, with the aim of training young people and enabling them to facilitate their reintegration.

It was with this spirit that the Hêvié community was born in 1991, renamed Pahou in 2003. This group became a member of Emmaüs International in 1992.

Our Activities

Women's Support and Accompaniment Unit

Community of Life and Work

Support for Saint Hélène de Castor School

Social Activities on Lake Nokoué

Bocage Workshops

Les jeunes de la ferme d'Emmaüs Pahou qui participent à un programme de réinsertion sociale et proLes jeunes de la ferme d'Emmaüs Pahou qui participent à un programme de réinsertion sociale et pro
Groupement de femmes aidé par Emmaüs PahouGroupement de femmes aidé par Emmaüs Pahou
Plateforme surélevée pour que les villageois aient accès à l'eau potablePlateforme surélevée pour que les villageois aient accès à l'eau potable
Devanture de la boutique d'Emmaüs Pahou où sont vendus les objets du bric-à-bracDevanture de la boutique d'Emmaüs Pahou où sont vendus les objets du bric-à-brac

Pahou Health Center

Centre de santé que souhaite ouvrir Emmaüs Pahou pour les compagnons et les villageoisCentre de santé que souhaite ouvrir Emmaüs Pahou pour les compagnons et les villageois
Une classe d'élève de l'école Sainte-HélèneUne classe d'élève de l'école Sainte-Hélène
Ateliers du bocageAteliers du bocage
Élevage de chèvres
Élevage de chèvres

Community of Life and Work

Pahou

Togbin

Plantations de Gboma
Plantations de Gboma
Élevage de lapins
Élevage de lapins
Élevage de porcs
Élevage de porcs
Plantations de Papaye
Plantations de Papaye

They also raise pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, and ducks.

The main goal of this activity is to enable the companions to reintegrate into society. Thus, once their training in our community is completed, we continue our support; Emmaüs Pahou supports their job search or apprenticeship and helps them reconnect with their family.

Hêvié

The Pahou community produces various vegetables such as tchayo, amaranth, African basil, carrots, and tomatoes; as well as fruits: bananas, lemons, mangoes, soursops, and papayas.

The weekly production is sold every Saturday morning at the association's store, located in Cotonou.

Élevage de canards
Élevage de canards

Emmaüs Pahou owns three farms: in Pahou, Togbin, and Hêvié, specializing in market gardening, fish farming, and livestock.

These farms constitute real communities of life and work since young people in difficult situations are welcomed and trained in agricultural activities.

At the end of their training, which lasts 2 to 3 years, the companions have the choice to leave and find work elsewhere, that is, to reintegrate into society, or to stay and continue communal life with the other companions.

Plantations de Vernonia
Plantations de Vernonia
Gboma
Papaye
Vernonia

Togbin

Women's Support and Accompaniment Unit

Emmaüs Pahou offers a support and accompaniment unit for women's groups to enable them to develop their income-generating activity. This activity has two aspects: economic, Emmaüs Pahou financially supports the activities of these women, and social since the association offers them various social training.

Emmaüs Pahou also offers them a health mutual.

Groupement. de femmes aidés par Emmaüs Pahou
Groupement. de femmes aidés par Emmaüs Pahou

Financial Support

Groupement de femmes aidé par Emmaüs Pahou
Groupement de femmes aidé par Emmaüs Pahou

Socio-professional Training

Social Support

Bocage Workshops

Emmaüs Pahou also coordinates the activities of the Cotonou Bocage Workshop. This workshop is an offshoot of the Bocage Workshops in France and aims to collect waste and electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), sort them by category before sending them back to France for recycling.

The goal of this activity is to clean up the living environment and the environment since, at present, electrical and electronic waste is thrown into nature or burned, causing toxic fumes.

schéma du recyclage des déchets électroniques avec les ateliers du bocage au bénin
schéma du recyclage des déchets électroniques avec les ateliers du bocage au bénin

COLLECTE

RECYCLAGE

The Bric-à-Brac

déchargement des objets du conteneur qui vont servir à la vente du bric-à-brac
déchargement des objets du conteneur qui vont servir à la vente du bric-à-brac
préparation des objets pour la vente à la boutique emmaüs pahou
préparation des objets pour la vente à la boutique emmaüs pahou
Boutique d'Emmaüs Pahou où sont vendus les objets du bric-à-brac
Boutique d'Emmaüs Pahou où sont vendus les objets du bric-à-brac

1

2

3

Thanks to the solidarity of several Emmaüs European groups, Emmaüs Pahou receives several containers per year. The received items are then enhanced, that is, cleaned and repaired, then sold in our Bric-à-brac store located in the Sainte Rita district in Cotonou.

This activity is the association's primary source of revenue and allows financing all of Emmaüs Pahou's activities.

Wednesday

Thursday

Saturday

10am - 6pm

10am - 1pm and 4pm - 6.30pm

4pm -6.30pm

Opening Hours

Lake Nokoué

Plateforme surélevée pour que les villageois aient accès à l'eau potable
Plateforme surélevée pour que les villageois aient accès à l'eau potable
Emmaüs Pahou soutient économiquement les activités de ces femmes
Emmaüs Pahou soutient économiquement les activités de ces femmes
Châteaux d'eau
Châteaux d'eau
fontaines d'eau potable
fontaines d'eau potable
blocs sanitaires
blocs sanitaires

9 water towers

103 drinking water fountains

85 sanitation blocks

In 2006, Emmaüs Pahou, and more broadly Emmaüs International, committed, alongside the lake fishermen's association and local authorities, to a large-scale project: providing drinking water and sanitation infrastructure to the entire lake city of Sô-Ava. Thus, in 2016, 9 water towers, several pumping stations, 103 drinking water fountains, and nearly 85 sanitary blocks were built, allowing 80% of the population, or more than 100,000 people, to have access to drinking water and suitable latrines. In addition to these infrastructures, Emmaüs Pahou offered training to the local population to enable them to maintain the equipment and participate in the sanitation of their commune.

However, since 2022, following a government reform, the water supply infrastructures and their management have been taken over by the state.

Despite the completion of the initial project in 2016, Emmaüs Pahou wished to continue supporting the So-Ava population, particularly women, to enable them to develop and strengthen their income-generating activities. Emmaüs Pahou economically supports the activities of these women, offers them literacy courses in the local language, and organizes socio-civic training on various themes (sanitation, hygiene and health, rights, sexual and reproductive health, etc.).

However, since the state took over the hydraulic infrastructures, our support activities for the population are compromised.

Groupement de femmes qui viennent chercher de l'eau potable d'Emmaüs Pahou
Groupement de femmes qui viennent chercher de l'eau potable d'Emmaüs Pahou

That's why we are currently actively seeking funding to maintain our activities with this particularly vulnerable population at all costs.

Pahou Health Center

We wish to open a health center to allow companions and residents of Pahou to have access to basic health care at a low cost.

We are currently waiting for government approval to open our health center.

Centre de santé que souhaite ouvrir Emmaüs Pahou pour les compagnons et les villageois
Centre de santé que souhaite ouvrir Emmaüs Pahou pour les compagnons et les villageois

Saint Hélène de Castors School

Une classe d'élève de l'école Sainte-Hélène
Une classe d'élève de l'école Sainte-Hélène

Emmaüs Pahou also supports the Saint Hélène de Castor school, which educates 236 children from kindergarten to ninth grade.

Emmaüs Pahou sponsors about 75 children by financing 50% of their tuition fees and providing educational materials.

Emmaüs Pahou's Projects

Emmaüs Pahou wishes to support local families in developing their skills in the field of agriculture. For this, Emmaüs Pahou plans, initially, to identify families who own land but do not exploit it. Then, Emmaüs Pahou would train the children of these families in agriculture and subsidize them so that these families can meet their needs and achieve food autonomy.

Emmaus Pahou aims to enhance the skills of village women by offering workshops to learn how to create hygiene and cosmetic products from natural materials. This would enable many women to develop their own income-generating activities.

For several months, aquaculture activities have ceased in Pahou, as the fish farming infrastructures were destroyed by the rising waters of the lake.

Thus, Emmaus Pahou would like to revive this activity, which constitutes an economic resource and also a complete aspect of Pahou's agricultural training.

Social and Family Agriculture

Self-Made Training Workshop

Reviving Aquaculture in the Community

Eco-Tourism

We aim to develop an eco-tourism activity within the Pahou community. Initially, this would allow us to welcome new companions and offer them training in fields such as hospitality, catering, or tourism. Subsequently, it would enable us to generate additional income, which would contribute to funding other social actions, while offering a self-sufficient activity that highlights local landscapes and activities.

Sponsorship Project on Lake Nokoué

The goal of this project is to cover the educational expenses of orphaned, vulnerable children and children out of school in the Sô-Ava commune. We wish to provide them with uniform outfits, school supply kits, and one meal per day for each primary school child; cover the tuition fees for students in apprenticeship programs; and offer remedial courses for students preparing for exams.

Textile Sorting and Recycling Center

This project involves setting up and electrifying the premises that will house the Pahou sorting center. With this textile sorting and recycling center, we could buy clothes by the container and prepare them for resale. This would allow us to generate more income so that we can welcome additional companions.

The sorting center is currently under construction, but we need equipment such as a textile press and scales to make it functional.

Cultural Center

We wish to open a cultural center that would allow the children and companions of Pahou to gather and entertain themselves safely.

Centre culturel qu'Emmaüs Pahou va ouvrir en 2024
Centre culturel qu'Emmaüs Pahou va ouvrir en 2024
Séverin MEKPOSSI

Accounting Assistant

Cynthia ATOHOUN

Project Manager

Françoise MENSAH

Cashier and Responsible for Solidarity Session

Gylydie GNANSOUNOU

Administrative Secretary

Administration

Pahou Life and Work Community

Pascal

Community Manager

Women's Support and Accompaniment Unit

Abraham

Hêvié Companion

Florent BIOKOU

Unit Manager

Cotonou Bocage Workshop

Anita ADEBAYO

Project Manager

The Bric-à-Brac

Hubert ATOHOUN

Manager

The lake

José HOUNSA

Manager and Monitoring Officer

Cynthia ATOHOUN

Deputy Manager

Myllie ASSANKPON

Support and Training Officer

Harielle AHLIN

Traceability Manager

Galina GBESSO

Sorter

Gladstone FOSSOU

Sorter

Birane SECK

Collector

Eli GANSOU

Warehouse Worker

Our team

Félix

Togbin Sector Manager

Bienvenu

Togbin Sector Manager

Doctrové

Hêvié Sector Manager

Alphonse

Pahou Sector Manager

William ADOME

Support and Training Officer

Gylydie GNANSOUNOU

Cashier

Marcel KPODEME

Warehouse Worker

Jean DANSI

Driver and Warehouse Worker

Pierre

Driver and Warehouse Worker

Sandra KOUKPONOU

Facilitator

Edmond DENON

Facilitator

Audrey FAGBEHOUNRO

Collector

Patrick ATOHOUN

President

Jacques

Togbin Companion

Daniel

Pahou Companion

Odilon

Pahou Companion

Honoré

Pahou Companion

Mehiha

Pahou Companion

Patrice

Pahou Companion

Eugénie

Pahou Cook

Our partners

The associations of the Emmaus movement