Ending Hunger in Benin
Donate to end hunger in Benin
Though increasingly stable, Benin faces many challenges such as extreme corruption and a low adult literacy rate.
In spite of recent economic growth, Benin remains one of the poorest nations in Africa and the world. 12.12 million people live in Benin, many of whom still lack access to basic social services and remain dependent upon subsistence farming. This is threatened by climate change which further endangers already fragile livelihoods.
Formerly a French colony, Benin (then known as Dahomey) gained independence in 1960 and, after a brief stint of communism, is now very stable despite widespread corruption. The coastal West African nation of Benin, bordered by Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Togo, has one of the most stable democracies in all of Africa, though with very high levels of corruption.
The Epicentre Strategy – what is it and how does it work?
To end hunger in Benin, The Hunger Project has been working with the tried and tested Epicenter Strategy. In Africa, The Hunger Project works to build sustainable community-based programs using the Epicenter Strategy. An epicentre is a dynamic centre of community mobilization and action, as well as an actual facility built by community members. The Epicentre Strategy is:
- Integrated and holistic, with programs in health, education, adult literacy, nutrition, improved farming and food security, microfinance, water and sanitation, and building community spirit.
- Economically sustainable, with primary resources for the strategy coming from the local people themselves, with a focus set on making existing local government resources more effective.
- Environmentally sustainable, with people at our epicentres learning composting and small-scale, environmentally sound irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation.
The Hunger Project’s Work in Benin
The Hunger Project is ending hunger in Benin while partnering with some 25,000 people across clusters of rural and remote villages. Working with communities directly allows for individuals to hold more influence over local government. This increases a community’s ability to collectively utilize resources and leverage power.
The Hunger Project’s epicentre buildings are constructed with local workers and labour at the centre of the work. It serves as a focal point where the motivation, energies and leadership of the people converge with the resources of local government and non-governmental organizations.
Over an eight-year period, an epicentre addresses hunger and poverty and moves along a path toward sustainable self-reliance, at which point it is able to fund its own activities and no longer requires financial investment from The Hunger Project.
The Hunger Project – Benin is comprised of 18 epicentres. These epicentres serve an area of 138 villages and a population of 311,073.
The Hunger Project has been ending hunger in Benin since 1997 and is currently empowering community partners in 19 epicentre areas to end their own poverty sustainably. Through its integrated approach to rural development, the Epicentre Strategy, The Hunger Project is working with community partners to successfully access the basic services needed to lead lives of self-reliance and achieve internationally agreed-upon markers of success, such as the Sustainable Development Goals.