In a festive atmosphere, in the presence of the children, teachers, civil and religious authorities of the three main religions (Christians, Muslims and Animists), the new toilets, tables and chairs for the Bodì Nursery School have been officially handed over. This is the ninth intervention SOPADA performs in favor of the rural schools of the Donga region. We believe that culture, through schools, is the driving force for the development of new generations who will have the responsibility to compete with global economies. (Google translation)

Friday 9 February 2018.

With the proceeds of the market organized on 6 December 2017 by the 5D students of Cadelbosco Sopra (Reggio Emilia - Italy), the school books of the various subjects covered by the ministerial program for primary schools in Benin were purchased. The delivery took place in a festive atmosphere, as often happens in African villages, in the presence of scholastic, institutional and religious authorities. The textbooks were delivered directly by the representatives of the NGO Sopada. On that occasion the children attending the school of Boli Boli proudly exhibited the drawings that the same homologues of the Italian primaries had prepared for them, as a sign of association and closeness, which was consolidated with this new gesture of generosity. (Google translation)

NOTE: EVERY HUMANITARIAN ACTION WE CARRY OUT NEVER COSTS A DIME MORE THAN ITS REAL COST. NOBODY GETS PAID TO ORGANIZE AND COORDINATE. THERE ARE NO OFFICES FOR THAT AND RELATIVE EXPENSES.  THE TIMING OF THE HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTIONS DEPENDS ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE DRY SEASON ON THE FARMS WHICH MEANS LESS WORK TO DO. THOSE WHO HAVE THEIR HANDS ON THE JOB ARE ON SOPADA PAYROLL  AND THEIR CARRY OUT THEIR DUTIES WILLINGLY. THIS IS WHY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE UP TILL NOW HAS HAD VERY LOW EXPENSES AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESTIMATES AND ACTUAL  COSTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ZERO (0). BY CHOICE, WE WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE  WE CONTINUE THIS WAY: LITTLE INTERVENTIONS  BUT TRANSPARENCY IN COSTS!  WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT MONETARY DONATIONS BEFORE HAVING NEW PROJECTS AT HAND  WITH CERTAINS ESTIMATES TO PLACE UNDER YOUR EXAMINTAION.

When we started all the land preparation processes we were totally carried away to understand the typical problems of those rural areas . quite soon though, we realized that no child went to school. Parents  made it clear that they  lacked the resources necessary  to send them to nearest school (located in the Penesselou village which is 7km away and ha both primary and secondary schools). Thanks to our projects though these parents could earn enough to support their children’s education by working on the farms. 

The amazing thing is that finally between 2014 and 2015these parents built four(4)  local schools for their 200 children.  Rudimental structures made out of tree trunks as school desks. We SOPADA volunteers  provided the missing school materials. In 2015, during the official opening ceremony,  we donated a school kit to every child comprising of an exercise book, two pens of different colours, coloured pencils in a raffia bag.

From a survey carried out by Andrea, in November 2015 came the urge to equip these 4 schools with real desks and chairs. Many of our Italian friends on Facebook  outdo one another in solidarity and by Christmas we already had the first 24 desks , each for 2 children in heavy wood with a flat surface a locker under and a bench all conjoined. We estimated that 48 desks cover the needs of 196 children who go to school on two different shifts. In January 2106 with an official ceremony in the presence of local civil and religious  authorities  from three  main religions present in the land (Islam, Christianity an Traditional animism), SOPADA’s reps  ,with Damiano,  the desks were handed over to the children to give a new found dignity to our young children.

On friday 22nd september, at the Nagailé village, not so far from Penessolou (Bassila, Benin) the ceremony to hand over the toilets to the nursery school was held ia a festive atmosphere and joyful presence of the children, true protagonists and users of the new infrastructure. Parents, teachers, local school headmaster, Penessolou mayor, rappresentatives of local religious communities, SoPada delegation with  its president Mamouda Alidou and Italian rappresentatives Andrea Puglisi and Paola Brunazzi.

After the speeches by various authorities, the children symbolically handed over the keys to Paola Brunazzi who stood in for all Italians whose contributions helped  make this a reality. Paola in turn handed the keys to the mayor who opened the door for the first time. With the money donated, we werw able to built two showers by the toilets to improve the personal hygiene of those children who do not always have access to water in their homes.

with this recently concluded project, the number of villages we have helped to make big steps toward better education right from early choldhood has risen to 8. We would like to remember a phrase by Penessolou mayor  during the ceremony while addressing the parents who chose to give their children a shot at education.

"I THANK YOU FOR THE COURAGE YOU'VE SHOWN BY SENDING YOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS NO FUTURE WITHOUT EDUCATION".

In western countries, education is an obligation, in 3rd world countries a great opportunity to train the ruling class will make Africa a dynamic continent.

By the end of the school year in Italy, the primary 4 pupils of Cadelbosco Sopra elementary school had special thoughts toward their counterparts far away in Benin with whom they had tied a bound during the Christmas Holidays.  This was possible through pen friendship and above all through wonderful drawings of which we share previews, but which will be handed over the children in Benin, this September.

We wish to remind that these pupils gave up their Chrismas party in order to send an amount of money to Benin for the supply of notebooks and pens for all 200 pupils (article and pictures in this page). The contents of the letters and drawings induce as adults, given the times we live in, to reflect on issues of fundumental importance. Our opinion, which is also our mission, is that conditions should be created to ensure that every single person lives a dignified life in his/her homeland. We believe, unlike many western politicians who derive joi in taking advantage of certain phenomenons, that in most cases the resource to create these condition abound. These pictures show two letters written by the pupils in Benin to those in Cadelbosco (Italy), the drawings and letters by the pupils of Cadelbosco to their African counterparts.

Below, we list, with all pleasure, the authors of the drowings addressed to the pupils in Benin and thank them.

They are: Gabriele, Matilde, Hamed, Alice, Nazar, Giovanni, Giulia, Sofia, Davide, Federica, Noemi, Arianna, David, Sabrina, Shuian, Sofia, Simone, Mattia, Thomas, Mushan, Jennifer, Francois, Mattia, and otherwho didn't sign their drawing but whom we equally appreciate.

On wednesday, 29th march the NGO SoPada collaborators, in the presence of local authorities, nursery school operators and rappresentatives of local religious communities (Christian, Muslim and traditionalist), handed over 28 seats and chairs in havy wood which the school was previously lacking, forcing the pupils to sit on the floor during lessons.

This operation was a success thanks to the generosity of Federico Bertani's parents, Annamaria and Stefano, who on this birthday raised an amount of money for the cause. The parents of Letizia Gallo, Barbara and Emanuele who also donated a sum to mark her Baptism. Gina Bianchin as usual contribued to their gestures with her own donation.

The local carpenters guaranteed skilled creftsmanship without exceeding the budget and just in time.

On Saturday, December 17 the primary 4(four)  pupils of the Cadelbosco Sopra (RE - Italy) elementary school presented Andrea and Paola with 162,00€ (Euros) and four letters. One from each primary 4 (four) section, addressed to the pupils of the four rural primary schools in the villages of Boli-Boli, Ouli, Tchélé and Bogamana.

On the last day before school closure for the Christmas/ New Year break, , in the presence of teachers, school headmaster, village chiefs , during an official ceremony SOPADA collaborators handed over 400 exercise books, new ballpoint pens and pencils for all.

The pictures describe the event and the enthusiasm of the children who in returned desired to show gratitude to their Italian peers by through letters…

Following the improvements we brought to the rural schools, three teachers of the Penesselou nursery school asked for our help to numerically adjust school equipment and make  clean and portable water available to the children in the school complex for their personal hygiene. We know the hygiene issue is fundamental in the prevention of diseases that could easily cause death. We take the issue to heart and we try carry along our Italian friends who let us feel their presence through Facebook tam-tam.  In less than two months we dug a well exclusively for the school’s usage and 60 chairs and 15 desks in massive African wood. Before the incredulous eyes of the local community and authorities a heartwarming ceremony took place took place to hand over the new infrastructure to the new beneficiaries.