Thinking that the problem of schooling for poor children can be solved only with school supplies is misleading. It is true that we cannot solve all problems alone, but in the case of Fonsramé and Agbanu, while a teacher was reading the letter of thanks during the delivery ceremony, we asked ourselves if we had really done everything possible for them. During that official thanksgiving, the fact was underlined that the children who today have everything they need for proper learning are very attentive, curious and eager to learn. Without their books and notebooks, they were considered by everyone to be disturbing elements and also had undisciplined attitudes. It really takes very little to bring out the qualities of those children: they just need to have the tools for learning and the metamorphosis immediately occurs. But what touched us the most was when they told us that some of them do not even have 150 F. (0.25€) a day to eat something during recess. While everyone goes to the vendors to get their meal, they wander disconsolately among the school desks, a little apart out of shame and anxiously waiting for lessons to start again so they can join the others without distinction. But some have full bellies, others perhaps haven't even had breakfast before going to school. Along with the satisfaction of having managed to provide school supplies, we were left with a bitter taste in our mouths for not having been able, at the time, to guarantee a daily meal to those who really needed it. Then Providence - which always has a name and surname - arrived! So we took action to identify, through a careful investigation, the children who are not in a position to eat the bare minimum daily, we contacted the vendor cooks, drafting with them a contract to supply meals for 28 children until the end of the school year. Payment in advance at the beginning of each month. Each child has his or her own bowl with lid and spoon and a personal badge with photo that allows the vendors to recognize them and provide the meal. The ingredients are agreed upon and varied to ensure a balanced diet of rice, pasta, tomato/onion sauce and fish. Alternatively polenta, tomato and chilli sauce, beans and meat.

For this operation we have allocated about €1000, already financed. The first day was yesterday, after returning from the holidays of the saints. Today I went with Ibrahim Abou to check that the children were fully satisfied. The photos from this morning confirm it.

This morning too, we were busy delivering 61 other school kits for the same number.

of children from the schools of Agbanu and Fonsramé. These 61 schoolchildren, who distinguished themselves by a high

profit, were among the 127 orphans to whom we gave the opportunity to go to school

last year, without having the means. Since our means are also limited, we have some

rewarded a party that stood out for having worked better than the others. We rewarded

merit. This experiment began this year and will make it possible to support more and more

students from many other schools, then trigger this virtuous mechanism that allows them to

advance in your studies knowing that we must work hard to achieve ours

support that can promote cultural and intellectual development to levels of excellence. We thank you

the school principals, present this morning at the delivery ceremony, who helped us

in identifying the best guys. Thanks as always to Ibrahim, who coordinated and organized

the event, ensuring the accuracy of the choices made by the teaching team. Thanks to Ramos who

as always he organized the agenda by trying to give voice to all the "actors" who live in the neighborhood

of the "trenches" of the classrooms who were able to give us valuable ideas to improve from year to year

our year of action.

Beautiful and moving ceremony of delivery of 81 school kits for the children of Aido,

in the district of Djegbadji. They have lived this year, with their families, a

terrible moment, when the government ordered the destruction of the houses of the village to make

place on a very ambitious tourist project that will certainly put into perspective the well-being

for everyone, but which for the moment has only caused great inconvenience. Families living

exclusively for fishing, they found themselves obliged to build makeshift shelters in places that

were assigned to them. Unfortunately, for the moment, they have not received enough economic aid to do so.

face. The consequence is that the few resources they had are not enough to send their

children to school. It is an unexpected event that we had not thought of, we had other plans for

other schools. But Providence quickly came to the rescue (I'm not kidding, I'm getting sick)

goose!) and we were able to offer school supplies to the village, without neglecting the other schools

that asked us for significant support for 58 orphaned children from Ouidah (who will come

satisfied tomorrow, September 20, and 72 children in Penessoulou in the north who have already received

their school kits on Saturday, September 7 and whom we will talk about in a separate post. So in the presence

of the district chief, the school director, the village chief and various local authorities

who represent so many realities, the delivery ceremony took place. Each of them

expressed their emotional satisfaction for the gesture that the NGO SOPADA was able to

accomplish, thanks to the help of friends who believed in us from all over Italy. This school is

very isolated from large population centers. There is no electricity. The "bell" at the start of classes,

Made in from an old rusty rim, it fulfills its role well. The structure is simple but

worthy and the children seem very polite. They are certainly very eager to

go to school and receive the education that can guarantee them a future full

satisfaction. Our best wishes for a regular and fruitful work go to them.

We will keep the situation under surveillance and, if necessary, we will help them again next year, if necessary

Providence will be with us.

A big thank you, as well as to the donors, all listed on the banner that appears in the photos, to Ramos

Vodounon, Koudoda Elisée Barboza, Ibrahim Abou as always very faithful and very important

collaborators of our NGO, who, thanks to their volunteering, greatly relieve Paola and me of

a commitment that it is increasingly difficult for us to carry out alone, especially since the activity is

it is growing, thank God, from year to year.

The distribution of school supplies this morning to some children who are

starting boarding school this year (a kind of high school that begins after 6 years of primary school and lasts

seven years), is particularly close to our hearts and fills us with pride.

In fact, these 10 children are among those who received scholarships from the NGO SoPADA last year

and to whom we promised to renew their support if they had

a profit above the average.

There were 127 of them and this year we rewarded about sixty of the best. The remaining 50,

that is, smaller, will be rewarded with new supplies in the coming days in Agbanu and Fonsramey.

Let us remember that these children are all in some way orphans or at least abandoned by their

parents, therefore without the means to go to school.

Our best wishes go to them for a fruitful and constant school activity.

Special thanks to Ibrahim, faithful collaborator who coordinated the organization and to all the

Italian (and non-Italian) Friends without whom it would not have been possible to make this delivery and those

of the next few days.

Andrea and Paola could not participate because they were taking place in the north, 400 km from where we are. In fact, they were busy preparing the other supplies that were to be delivered later

they were distributed in three separate school buildings and which we have already talked about at length.

It is only now that we have received photographs that are not very professional, but do the job.

to document these moments, which took place on September 7.

We sent Djaffarou, who is also our treasurer and accountant, to the site. One weekend,

with Aliou and Rafiou, he was able to distribute 72 school kits in two different villages:

- Penessolou, where this activity came from with the first supplies made since

2018 with 39 needy students

- Alédjo, a village in which 33 other destitute orphans were identified and we added

them at the last moment.

The ceremony took place in the presence of the chief of the village of Penessoulou ALIDOU Djibril,

ABOUBACAR Abdel Aziz, representative of the Commune, SANDA Aliou vice-president of ADAP,

AROUNA Shabane president of the students' relatives, ALASSANE Djimanath president of the

Alédjo Associations.

The day has therefore arrived for the officialization of the delivery of the equipment donated by the voluntary organization "Il Sorriso di Bright". Although we have already used them in recent days to meet the urgent needs of the poor (as many have had the opportunity to see), it is true that there is a formal document certifying to the donors that these instruments have arrived in good hands. and that they will be used for the purposes set by the Organization itself, which statutorily deals, in various forms, with aid to poor children in the broadest sense, therefore also in the health field. Thanks to ODV "Il Sorriso di Bright" for providing us with a portable ultrasound scanner at Paola's disposal and a portable dental unit for dental treatments. Thanks also to Loretta Bianchi, President of the Organization and Guido, Vice President. Your expectations will not be disappointed!

Feelings are mixed after 5 days of hard work "non-stop" to assist Guido, our dentist, during dental care at the Segbanou Humanitarian Hospital Center. What prevails is the satisfaction of having relieved more than a hundred people who suffered from excruciating dental pain and who could not afford to go to the dentist. Their gratitude certainly exceeds our efforts. It is also true that working from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a short break to eat a bite leaves its mark in the evening. We started Monday morning and by the end of the day we were already eliminated! But we continued with tenacity until this morning when we tidied up, gathered our things and arranged the environment, a sort of rather empty classroom in which we placed two beds, three tables to place all the tools, wooden chairs which were certainly not the case. help our backs, forced to bend over the patient in improbable positions and the inevitable "portable unit" which contains in a sort of trolley all the instruments to operate on the teeth (turbines, aspirator, micromotor, compressed air, sprayed water, catalyst lamp and scaling tool). In reality, we tried to limit the interventions to the most urgent cases, which often resulted in very laborious extractions and in the majority of cases so complicated that surgery was necessary. It must be recognized that the experience and professionalism of Dr. Guido Corradi were essential to obtain a positive result because the teeth of Africans differ greatly from ours which are smaller and certainly less tenacious. Not to mention the depth of the roots, very difficult to extract because they are very long and often irregular. To complicate a rather complex picture, the electricity company did not miss a daily outage of almost two hours. In almost impossible conditions, we continued to work in the dark, with the only help of the dentist's headlamp, for simple extraction operations (nothing else could have been done).

The photos describe the different phases: the preparatory ones for the creation of a clinic from scratch, the first operations in the morning (calling and registering patients), the pre-consultation to determine a possible antibiotic therapy before starting, and then entering the heart of the interventions.

The Camillian Fathers helped us in every way and did not let us miss the comfort of a hot meal.

For SOPADA, this is not a new experience, but each time it is always very exciting and enriching. Relieving suffering is a human and Christian experience, so beautiful that it is difficult to describe. And our commitment will continue in this direction as long as we have the strength. A special thank you to Michelle (who is now a full member of SOPADA) who helped by preparing the anesthesia, continuously disinfecting the instruments by quickly handing them over to Guido and who never lost the sensitivity to hold the hands of the most suffering patients during the most complex operations.

Carole is a girl in her early thirties who lives and works in Ouidah. She has always dedicated her life to volunteering, making her skills available as an accountant for the "Caisse de Solidarité" group of the parish of the Basilica. This group is made up of parishioners and consists of a collection which has the aim of supporting members if they find themselves in financial difficulty, for the most disparate reasons, but above all to cover medical expenses in the event of illness or hospitalisation. Ironically, she herself found herself in difficulty by contracting a serious autoimmune disease, Lupus, which requires long and very expensive treatments, after having undergone a complete cycle of chemotherapy. To this end, Sopada has undertaken fundraising to cover the very considerable expenses, at least for a while.

Today I feel the obligation to thank the donors who made this little miracle possible. We found CellCept's generic drug to treat Carole's autoimmune disease. I remember that this medicine costs €105 in BÉNIN (€170 in Italy!!) for each box and is only enough for 12 and a half days of therapy. Her monthly salary doesn't even come close to covering the cost of a single box! Thanks to the research of our friend Gianluca Iori we managed to find 17 boxes for around €64 which should guarantee around 6 months of therapy. It is true that the treatment is expected to last up to 2 years, but for now we are confident in a positive response from the body.

THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF:

LaMeri Catellani, Angela Gamberini, Maria Mele, Lorenzo Pinetti, Manuela Lavaroni, the Sanitary workers of Montecchio and me and Paola which we completed to reach the sum of €1100. I also thank the pharmacy who gave us a 15% discount. (Google translate)

We have concluded an agreement with the Il Sorriso di Bright Association, which creates and supports support projects for the poorest children in third world countries, particularly in Africa. The President Loretta Bianchi appreciated the work carried out in Bénin by our NGO and proposed a collaboration which materializes, if all goes well, with the supply of a portable mini-unit for dentists and an obstetric-gynecological ultrasound system which will be used by Guido and Paola in the orphanage for abandoned newborns run by the nuns of Notre Dame des Apotres, during his consultations with the most needy pregnant women.

WHAT IS A “MINI PORTABLE DENTAL UNIT”

by "DRESSING UNIT" we usually mean the "dentist's chair" which "brings together" all the essential tools for practicing dentistry: drill, saliva aspirator, air-water syringe, lamp. (Google translate)

When the dentist has to work outside the office, the chair, then the "DRESSING UNIT" must become "MINI" that is, it must condense all the essential instruments in a very small space, like a suitcase or a trolley on wheels, to be able to be easily transportable and can be used next to a patient's bed in a hospital, in a retirement home for the elderly,

or in Africa, in the remote villages of the savannah, where sometimes only a very few courageous volunteer dentists arrive to carry out the most urgent and indispensable dental therapies... those that the WHO. called “O.U.T.": Oral Urgent Treatment.

In practice, these are "dental extractions" to be performed in patients in whom tooth decay, which is a bacterial infection, has initially caused the destruction of the teeth and which then, if left untreated, causes serious infections and abscesses with devastating skin fistulas, which, by preventing feeding, can also lead to the death of patients

This is one of the motivations that pushed Dr. Guido Corradi (who is currently vice president of the IL SMILE DI BRIGHT ASSOCIATION and member of the NGO SoPADA) to become a volunteer dentist in AFRICA.  (Google translate)

He started more than 25 years ago, way back in 1998, and since then he has never stopped going every year, sometimes even twice a year, during the holiday period, to Ghana, to the hospital of a Comboni mission: the Comboni Hospital in Sogakope-Volta Region.

In recent years, with the increase in experience and knowledge of Africa and its needs, it has moved its range of action to two neighboring and even poorer countries than Ghana: TOGO and BENIN, carrying out its activity as a volunteer dentist in some rural health centers in some towns in the central-northern area of the two countries, the poorest areas without health facilities.

He thus set up a new dental clinic in the Center de Santè of Kolowarè, in Togo (which still hosts several lepers) but since the local population was very poor and could not even afford to pay the small amount requested (corresponding to €1.5 ), he didn't come to the clinic to be treated. And so Dr. Corradi decided to go directly to the surrounding villages, lost in the "brousse" (savanna) to treat the local population in their own homes, small houses with mud walls and thatched roofs, or on the sides of the street, in the shade of a plant.

It is not easy to practice dentistry in those conditions, without the chair, with the patient sitting on a deck chair, without the light of the lamp, without a saliva aspirator and therefore in the midst of blood and flies, having only the hands and extraction tongs, for hours and hours under the sun. It is very tiring and also requires a lot of skill and experience.  Dr. Corradi understands that, in those extreme conditions, it would be very useful to be able to have and use a PORTABLE MINI-DENTAL UNIT.

This is why the following year, in BENIN, when the local non-profit organization SO.P.A.D.A. invites him to carry out free dental volunteering at the C.T.A.L. (Anti-Leprosy Treatment Centre) - a village for lepers of the Roul Follerau foundation but which is also a health dispensary for the surrounding population - Dr. Corradi decides to use a PORTABLE MINI-unit, asking to borrow it from some Italian volunteer friends who operate in neighboring Togo.

Working with the Mini-unit is much easier, for example by being able to aspirate blood and saliva

from the patients' mouths and therefore have a better view of the operating field.

Having the PORTABLE MINI-DEVICE at your disposal it is possible not only to carry out extractions, but also to try to "treat the teeth"... in particular those of children - especially the decayed front teeth - thus avoiding having to extract them, disfiguring their smile forever!

And receiving, in exchange for a filling, the kiss of a child happy to be able to smile again!

Also this year the NGO SoPADA (Non-Governmental Organization) - which operates in BENIN - asked Dr. Corradi to return to carrying out his dental volunteering activity at two Health Dispensaries, one in the south of the country - in OUIDAH - managed by Sisters of the African Congregation “Notre Dame des Apotres” – and one in central-northern Benin, in PENESSOULOU, in the municipality of BASSILA, a small rural hospital managed by the state. The sustainable agriculture company (Solidarité Pour l'Amélioration et le Dévelopement Agricole) is also based in Penessoulou, which also gave its name to the NGO that carries out social and humanitarian activities. (Google translate)

A relationship of fruitful collaboration is now taking shape between two voluntary associations: “SoPADA” in Benin, through its Social Affairs Manager, Andrea Puglisi and his wife Paola and “IL SORRISO DI BRIGHTO.D.V.” in Italy (www.ilsorrisodibright.org), through Dr. Corradi who is a founding member and works in both the two Associations.

But the president of the “Smile of Bright” - Loretta Bianchi - decided to give a strong and unequivocal signal of this synergy of intent between Italy and Africa by deciding to purchase - only after launching a specific fundraising campaign - both a MINIRIUNITO PORTABLE that a PORTABLE OBSTETRIC-GYNECOLOGICAL ULTRASOUND to be made available to SoPADA and its numerous humanitarian initiatives in Benin.

Dr. Guido will therefore take with him TO BENIN, next August, and will use the PORTABLE MINI UNIT on site; while the PORTABLE ULTRASOUND will be delivered into the hands of Andrea and Paola - who are temporarily in Italy for medical treatment - to be then used by Paola, who is a retired professional midwife, in the maternity clinics where she provides her volunteer work.

This desire to collaborate and interact between two humanitarian associations is beautiful! It allows us to rationalize our forces, that is, to make the best use of the always, unfortunately, scarce economic resources and to be able to achieve objectives that, alone, would not be able to be achieved.

The cost of the mini portable dental unit is €1790

Naturally we avoided choosing the most expensive devices, but also the cheapest ones from China, opting for a good old Italian company: De Giorgi.

This is the device that I already used a year ago in Benin and which can be seen in the images.

I think it has the best quality/price ratio.

I trust, as always, in the sensitivity and generosity of Italians towards useful, credible and concrete humanitarian projects. The goal we set ourselves is not at all easy to achieve... but it is simple to understand: alleviate pain and give a smile back to those who cannot heal themselves!

Guido Corradi

Andrea Puglisi

IL SMILE DI BRIGHT Association - O.D.V. www.ilsorrisodibright.org

SOPADA NGO Association www.sopada.org

(Google translate)

We have finally reached the happy conclusion. SOPADA had had a sum in his belly for some time which, by express wish of the (anonymous) donor, was destined for the popouniere of Ouidah, the orphanage for abandoned newborns. We were just waiting for a project to be submitted to us aimed at substantially improving the children's stay. Blackouts are very frequent in the city. When it happens at night, children find themselves completely in the dark and experience moments of fear that sometimes last for long hours. There are more than thirty and it is not possible to console them all. Thus the idea of equipping the center with a solar system was born. The installer was willing to sell and install the system partly on credit. We put in about half of the total amount, allowing the work to begin. The operation will allow energy savings of around €300 per month, which in these parts is a lot of money. This morning, with immense joy, we handed over to Sister Lucrezia and her sister the check for one million CFA Fr. which corresponds to approximately €1500. I then went to the work site to see the actual installation that was underway. The children of the orphanage will be able to sleep peacefully and when they open their eyes they will always be reassured by the light of a light bulb. (Google translate)

Following an important donation made by a person who wishes to remain anonymous, we thought of a structural project to maintain and possibly implement all the activities of the Ouidah leper colony, with particular attention to increasing the quality of life of the resident lepers. Since June, when we learned of this benefactor's intentions, we have worked to plan a series of activities to take advantage of the great resources available to the nuns. We have identified several activities that can be implemented in a relatively short time. €8600 has been allocated for the project. So we have already started in September with:

- sheep, pig and broiler breeding

- The exploitation of three hectares of land, taking advantage of the short rainy season, to grow corn and peanuts

- The production of palm oil from the numerous palm trees present on the property's land

- The cultivation of cassava on approximately two hectares and its transformation into flour (gari) and tapioca obtained from its starch.

- In the installation phase we have a vegetable garden that will host various types of vegetables and legumes on an area of one hectare with drip irrigation to guarantee constant production all year round, even during the dry season.

Inside the property there are many mango, lemon, papaya and coconut palm trees. Until now, apart from coconut palms, only a small part of the fruits were consumed in the nuns' house and among the sick, another part was stolen by the inhabitants of the neighboring villages, but the majority rotted on the trees; now we will organize collections and direct sales at the Kpassè market.

Some equipment already present was broken and therefore unused due to lack of resources. With the available budget we carried out their repairs, in particular an oil press to produce palm oil, the mill to grind grains and prepare feed, and a three-wheeled three-wheeler for various transports functional to the activities. Furthermore, we have purchased the machine for grinding cassava, which allows us to transform the product into other value-added products and in these days we will purchase an incubator to increase the production of chicks. The program is managed for the first year by the NGO SOPADA, in my person, but I can count on the active collaboration of Ibrahim, responsible for raising mutton and chickens for meat, Ines, his wife, who takes care of the piggery with great dedication, Ernest, an expert farmer who takes care of the crops in the fields, Isaak, who assists him but who specializes in the vegetable garden. Ernest's wife is then available to cover Ines' day off and for other small jobs that arise from time to time in the company. Our hope is that the various activities, precisely because they are very diversified, can produce a certain income also for the years to come when SOPADA will no longer have the management, maintaining and hopefully also increasing the number of employees and with them the profits so that they can help to improve the health services of the dispensary, the structures that house the sick and consequently their quality of life. (Google translate)

With a view to helping pregnant women, but also those who are not, in the correct management of maternity, SOPADA, thanks to Paola, has organized this monthly meeting in the premises of the Parish of the Basilica of Ouidah. It is completely free and will certainly help in the responsible management of maternity, especially in those pockets of material poverty from which many families in BENIN still suffer. (Google translate)

Last Saturday, September 16, one of our representatives from the NGO SOPADA, FOUSSENI Djaffarou, went to Penessolou, in the north of the country, to hand over school supplies to 39 children and young orphans. This year we have 5 more who are already in college. We have been supporting all the others in their academic journey since 2018. Until now, they have met our expectations, following their respective courses in a coherent, serious and serene manner. We were unable to be present because we were in turn preparing the kits for the 127 other orphan students from Ouidah in the south of the country. Several authorities were present: the chief and delegate of the village of Penessoulou Alidou Djibril, representative of the mayor, prevented by other commitments, the president of the Association for the Development of Penessoulou, Sanda Aliou, two municipal councilors of the capital commune from Bassila, Alassane. Abasse and Gouda Moussa, the President of the Association of Artisans and representative of parents, Tchiffi Zouliath. The ceremony took place at the Youth Center in the district of Penessoulou in a joyful atmosphere. A warm thank you to all the Italian donors who helped us with their donations. (Google translate)

In a festive and somewhat "messy" atmosphere, this morning we heroically managed to deliver the backpacks with complete school supplies to 127 orphaned children from the neighborhoods of Fonsramey and Agbani (Ouidah) distributed in the two respective school buildings. We invited several local authorities, including the mayor of Ouidah who, after making us wait an hour beyond the scheduled time, sent his deputy to be present in his place. Let's be clear: in BENIN, as in all of Africa, the presence of the authorities during these events seems to be very important, as they enjoy their moment of glory by using them as a catwalk. The delay of the mayor, who then had himself replaced, annoyed us greatly, because our respect goes, before the politicians, to the least, who are the recipients of our efforts. Having said that, after the ritual speeches of the authorities, we moved on to the delivery of the backpacks which contained numerous notebooks, numerous ballpoint pens, colored crayons, compass with protractor, ruler, pencil and eraser square, slate and textbooks for the various classes and the school uniform. In all cases they were orphaned children of primary school age, unable to attend due to lack of resources. They are the future of the country, we must offer them "nourishment for the mind", even before that for the stomach which, thank God, is not lacking in this area of Africa. They will be the ones who will have to manage the global challenges of tomorrow, with their resources, their cultural background and their passion. They will have to regain possession of their lands that were over-exploited over the centuries by "others" who came with arrogance from far away. It is from this perspective that we try to help the young generations to become aware of their potential and put it at the service of everyone. Because there is an inalienable right: that of being born, living and prospering in one's own country. The SOPADA NGO thanks all the Italian donors, from all over Italy, but also the numerous friends from Cadelbosco, Reggio Emilia and the surrounding areas, without whom we would not have been able to satisfy such a large number of needy orphans. A proper thank you then goes to Ibrahim Abou, an active member of Sopada and the Zongo neighborhood leader who organized the event. And thanks also to Ramos Vodounon and Koudoda Elisée Barboza, faithful collaborators, who helped us deliver the backpacks.

We cannot forget the other 39 pupils and students of Penessoulou, from primary, secondary and high schools who we will talk about in a separate post, but who are part of the same project financed by SOPADA through the friends listed below:

- Montecchio healthcare facilities

-Annamaria Benassi

-Luca Bigliardi

-Corrado Askerz

- Rossi Rossella

-Rita Rita Benatti

-Arianna Zanetti

- Simonetta Bertozzi

-Marzia Conti

- Patrizia Benassi

-Pedroni Maria

-Paolo Cagossi Palli Paolo

-Annamaria LaMeri Catellani

-Giuliano Bondavalli & Valeria Bondavalli

- Jonathan Ivan Cosentini

-Anna Adriano

-Carlo Prandi

-Giuseppina Salvati

-Gianni Fontanesi

-Franco Bonilauri

- Amelia Borghi

-Nesti Simona

- Laura Spaggiari

-Annalisa Benelli

-Alessia Orlandini

-Bigi Rossana

-Garatti Ezio

-Antonio Chinnici

- Lorenzo Pinetti

-Luigi Dalla Porta

-Gianni Marconi

-Lara Munari

-Guidetti Andrea

- Maurizio Rainieri and Piccinini Francesca

Beautiful final of the Djegbadji League with the winning team Degue. The organization of this tournament among all the villages on the Ouidah coast was also possible thanks to SOPADA who, with the help of Jonathan Ivan Cosentini, sponsored the event. (Google translator)

The cycle of dental treatments organized by SOPADA for the benefit of the weakest and most deprived groups in the Ouidah area ended this morning, with this additional half day that we were forced to add due to the unexpected, enormous turnout of people. Already in the early morning we could count about twenty people waiting, which gradually increased. Dr. Corradi has no memory of other missions in Africa with such a high number of complicated cases that forced all of us to work daily cycles of up to 11 consecutive hours. He carried out actual surgical operations to remove teeth and roots that were now "ossified" within the dental socket. It must be said that the dentition of African breeds is very strong and robust. The roots are always longer than those of European man. Therefore it is quite difficult to find teeth that move, except in the case of periodontitis, caused by the presence of tartar at the base of the teeth. Thanks to the help of a portable dental unit it was possible to operate with the instruments we are used to in modern European dental practices, obviously with some limitations. Thus the services seem to have fully satisfied the patients who thanked them with concrete gestures, small gifts and even a kiss from a child who had two decayed canines saved, now as good as new. No aesthetic interventions were envisaged, but the aim was to reconstruct the incisor of a child who had broken following a fall and was positioned towards the outside. This was due to bullying by his classmates. Guido wanted to give him a dignified appearance and a smile that he previously refused to show. What to say? A lot of effort, complicated and tiring moments, but also the satisfaction of having been able to provide relief to patients who, due to too much poverty, could not have imagined setting foot in a dental office. On behalf of SOPADA, a big thank you must be given to Dr. Guido Corradi, to Michelle, who, together with Paola and me, improvised as a dental assistant. The services, of any nature, were offered at the symbolic price of 1000 Fcfa (approximately €1.50) also including antibiotics and painkillers.

Always tired but happy! Go on like this! (Google translator)

A few weeks ago, a very suffering woman was driven by motorcycle across a bumpy track to the leper hospital dispensary in Ouidah, in desperate conditions. She was breathing heavily, sweating profusely, could not speak and seemed to be unconscious now. In fact, despite all the emergency maneuvers to try to revive her, in the absence of a pulse oximeter and oxygen, there wasn't even time to administer intravenously the medicines that perhaps could have prevented the worst, or at least would have postponed it. And this is how she dies for "poverty". We will never know if she would have survived after resuscitating her with forced oxygenation. What is certain is that that health facility would be necessary at least to try. It must be said that such serious patients should not go to a dispensary where there is not even the presence of a doctor, but if someone arrives in those conditions, a minimum of equipment is essential. And it is always at the right time that Providence arrives, materializing in an unexpected phone call in which we are told the will of an Italian acquaintance (who wishes to remain anonymous), to want to contribute a significant amount to a project that SOPADA deems to be urgent. So without hesitation we bought a 10-liter oxygen cylinder, accompanied by the Ambu balloon, the humidifier, the masks for adults and children and an oximeter for a cost of €506. The amount donated was double, so we integrated the fund for scholarships for orphaned children which currently amounts to €2,654.10 and which will certainly have increased by September, thanks to the help of our Italian friends. Another small drop in the ocean of needs of that poorest part of the population who cannot afford the most trivial treatments has been shed. And it won't end there. It's a promise. 

Special thanks go to Sister Maria Serena (Mother Superior), nurse specializing in skin diseases, Sister Ida, physiotherapist, Sister Alice, employee of the analysis laboratory, Micheline, assault nurse and Paola, volunteer midwife and nurse. They work with self-denial and a spirit of fraternal charity in caring for the least.  (Google translate)

Taking advantage of the post-Christmas period, we went north to visit the SOPADA farm. The corn, rice, yam and soybean crops have finished and the warehouse is well stocked. The activity of the farm today is based on the plantations of cashew and gmelina. What is stored in the warehouse is used to feed the families of those who work, who generally have enough for a whole year and what is left over can be sold, always in favor of those families. Our visit was intended, as usual, to see the evolution of the plantations, but also to bring back a few products to the south to be able to share with "our" poor, those whom God wanted us to come across during our lives in Africa. The cashew plantations have their flowers for the first time, a prerequisite for having the first fruits, those of gmelina are growing rapidly. It is possible to hypothesize that in about two years we could sell the first timber produced and that every year we will have a significant quantity of timber to sell which will allow us to have resources to reinvest in new projects. Cashew nut production will presumably also be relevant and will allow us to look to the future with optimism. We are satisfied. We load the machine with two quintals of freshly harvested rice, which we will then have to hull and shine with a consequent reduction in weight by about half and a large number of yam tubers, the large African potato, which is highly appreciated in these parts. Before returning we therefore go to the mill to process the rice and leave for the south. Once we got home we prepared ten kilo bags of rice and, separately in another bag, two yams, we labeled them by hand with SOPADA's wishes and distributed them to the neediest families we know in Ouidah. For the poorest we have also added a fair amount of tapioca flour, very appetizing and rich in vitamins and fibres.

It is a small gesture that has allowed us to better understand how much sincere gratitude the humblest people are capable of. Something that moves and makes you think. And we will carry this reflection in our hearts for the whole of next year. Happy 2023 everyone! (Google translate)

First day of school for Malick at the technical high school of Ouidah, one of the best high schools in Benin. His story - reported by Ibrahim (in the photo) - particularly touched us. Eighteen years old, fatherless and motherless. No one has taken care of him since, recently, a Franco-Beninese gentleman who supported him in his studies fell ill and died. He tried to work to try to raise the amount needed to enroll in the third year of the accounting and accounting course, but this sum is and will always be too high for him. He is a shy boy, very neat and polite. He must really care about going to school if he is concerned with finding the means to attend it before those he simply needs to live! SOPADA was not indifferent and decided to support him in all the necessary expenses. We did it with the recommendation to really try hard. We will keep it monitored. From the funds that remained from the donations made for the scholarships (about €1,000) we therefore subtracted the €151 to be able to enroll him, buy him all the necessary books, two pairs of closed shoes and the khaki uniform of the high school, which are compulsory to attend. For him, our commitment - if he proves he deserves it - will be to accompany him until his high school diploma. Good Luck, dear Malick, don't disappoint us and don't disappoint the Italians who have supported you from afar with their hearts by depriving themselves of something. (Google translate)

We certainly could not have imagined that in this moment of contingent hardship we would have received such a generous response from our Italian friends towards SOPADA's humanitarian projects. Only a week before the grants were awarded to 70 orphaned pupils we could only cover half of the costs which had obviously increased significantly this year. In the last few days, providentially enough donations have arrived to cover the costs and in the following days still more which leave us a surplus of € 915.40 net of another important project which we will discuss separately. This allowed us to identify some situations particularly in need of support. Abou and Zoulaya are two orphan brothers in abject poverty. They live together with their aunt, a widow, blind, without the slightest economic support. He is 14 years old and has a great desire to learn the trade of a tailor, she is 11, lively eyes, lively intelligence. Both lack the means to go to school. Both have yet to attend class CE2 (which corresponds to our 4th grade), having skipped numerous school years by foot. So we explored the possibility of helping them. She will definitely go to school. Today we bought her everything she needed to successfully attend the school year, placed in a beautiful backpack for a total of around €23. For him we have organized an apprenticeship course with a tailor who in the third year will allow him to have his professional diploma which will qualify him for the trade and will therefore be able to hope to open his own personal atelier. The operation will cost around €225 over three years. Best wishes guys, love Benin and help make it “great”! We will be by your side. (Google translate)

Now that also Paola is in Benin, SOPADA has one more resource: a midwife thanks to whom we will be able to organize prenatal consultations for new mothers who do not have the means to do so in public hospitals. To do this, he has various tools. What was missing for better accurate controls was a Doppler device for detecting the fetal heartbeat. We therefore took the opportunity to buy it in Italy, the best, the same model that is used in the health units of Emilia-Romagna. Yes, because rich or poor must have the right to a quality service, without compromise. The appliance was purchased new for €503. We took this sum from the fund for the schooling of orphans. I hope the donors who have helped us in the last few months don't take it. However, there are still almost €1,000 left which, added to those which, hopefully, will arrive in the course of 2022/2023, will cover the expenses to allow orphans from the school of Fonsramey (Ouidah) and that of Penessolou, in the north, to attend as usual with all necessary supplies. Thanks again everyone. The credit goes to all those who believed in our projects. We only act as intermediary and guarantor between you and the recipients. No euro is wasted to please someone. (Google translate)

Region of Donga, Northern Benin.

There are 31 boys and girls who have benefited from the scholarships donated through Sopada by Italian friends. In the headquarters of the municipality of Penessolou, SOPADA was represented by Djaffarou FOUSSENI, Aliou Alidou, Gouda Moussa, for the Chief Arrondissement M.me Idrissou Roukaya who in turn represented the guardians of the beneficiary orphans. There, on Saturday 1st October, the school kits were handed over to the orphaned boys who will be able to continue their studies. We recall that for many of them this is the fifth year that they have been supported by SOPADA. Our goal is to help them up to their high school diploma and, for the most deserving, up to university. The boys sincerely thank Barbara Abbate, Brenno and Paola, Antonino Chinnici (Palermo), Cristina Candiani, Luigi Dalla Porta, Lorenzo Pinetti, Patrizia Lusuardi, Pina Salvati and Fontanesi Gianni, the health workers of Montecchio E., Serenella Tozzi (Rome), Annamaria Catellani, Lara Munari and Andrea Guidetti. It must be said that many other donors have joined after the various school kit deliveries, and that they will be remembered during the next initiatives in favor of the latter that we will plan for the coming months. (Google translate)

When you approach an African primary school you immediately breathe an air of positivity. And the Djegbadj school is certainly no exception. Also because today Sopada is present to deliver the school supplies necessary for each of them to attend to the 38 orphaned children of the village of Deguè. Even if I appear in several photos the real protagonists are the children and above  all the Italian friends who with their offers have made possible something that seems like a dream for them and that today has come true. All this was accompanied by a small ceremony where the school and public authorities expressed their gratitude and recommended to the beneficiaries to take care of the donated material but above all to take very seriously the possibility of having an education, which unfortunately has not yet been taken for granted by these set off.  We thank the local authorities in the people for their presence by Theodore Tossou, Vice President of the association and development of Déguè, Sylver Kodegbe, in charge of education and the Director of the school complex Edgard Hounton. Special thanks also to the Sopada collaborators of Ouidah, Ramos and Elisée Vudounon, without whom it certainly would not have been easy to organize the event. (Google translated)

#aiutiamoliacasalorodavvero

Ibrahim leads me in total darkness into a courtyard where some families live. We grope our way to a small house without electricity. The silhouettes of the two children can be glimpsed, clearly of different ages. These two little darlings, they never went to school. Their parents are dead. They live with an aunt in absolute poverty, so much so that she has never been able to afford to send them to school. Exceptionally, outside the aid program for the orphans of the Djegbadji school, we wanted to give them the opportunity to attend the first class with the intention of helping them for the years to come. They're ready for tomorrow with their backpack full of everything they need: two pencils, a sharpener, three notebooks, eight ballpoint pens in four different colors, a slate, colored crayons, a drawing book, math and French texts and a khaki uniform. Have a good life little ones! (Google translate)

The guys from SOPADA reported to us the case of a field worker who needed a dental extraction. Taking advantage of the presence of Guido, our partner and dentist, in BENIN in mid-August, we tried to investigate whether it was appropriate to organize a collective session to perform the extractions of diseased teeth, the cause of abscesses that are no longer recoverable for those who live nearby. of our farm. We know that our neighbors are also those who with their cattle invade our fields without our permission: the Peul. It seems to us a good sign of relaxation. We, in some way the injured party, offer to help them solve their health problems totally free of charge. A gesture that displaces them and also sees them a little suspicious. We give them an appointment on August 16, right near the company and a Peul village. They only show up in 4. We prepare the health camp in a difficult and unusual situation, under the shade of some cashew tree, with an uncertain weather, always ready to give a good shower, which then fortunately does not arrive. The irons are already wrapped in a sterile field. We then prepare containers with disinfectant always ready to accommodate the used irons. Guido wears his white clothes and begins to "operate" under local anesthesia. In the meantime, other people arrive, some with their animals in tow, some watching astonished, some causing so much harm to have their tooth removed. The first patients, once operated, leave grateful and incredulous for not having been asked to pay for the service. They return to their villages confirming that everything is free. From that moment the procession begins and the patients soon become about twenty, so much so that we have reached the end that we had almost run out of antibiotics, Oki and mouthwashes. The patient's chair was a deckchair recovered from my house, the spittoon a fuel can cut in half, as was the dustbin. The dentist's chair a normal wooden chair is a rustic coffee table served as a support for instruments and consumables. Very essential. But very effective judging by the people met along the country tracks who begged to be visited after the work session as well. One woman in particular had a very severe abscess that alone could not heal. It was not possible to intervene until after a strong dose of antibiotics, so we gave her an appointment after two days, hoping for the effect of the drug. At the appointment there were also other people ready to be examined. The problem of dental care is very serious in rural areas, partly due to the lack of systematic hygiene, partly due to lack of means. The priority is to feed more than to heal. Both are not possible. So even Guido's action, done with his big heart and his proverbial professionalism, is just a drop in the ocean, but has left a great trace. In fact, in 2019 Dr. Guido Corradi had already held a cycle of extractions over the course of two whole days to meet all Penessolou's needs. And in the village they have not forgotten. It is a human experience that has enriched everyone, on both sides and which we intend to repeat in the future. (Translated by Google)

#aiutiamoliacasalorodavvero

There is a place in Ouidah where three young nuns run an orphanage with great professionalism and empathy, which has expanded and also provides quality health services. The main activity remains that of welcoming children left without parents, abandoned or with very problematic families behind them. The complex is located in a suburban area, almost in the countryside I would say. It can only be reached via a dirt road. The structure is made up of various pavilions and buildings immersed in a large garden, among which there are also places of prayer, which remain essential for spiritually supporting the sisters who spend themselves for these wonderful children. They are over thirty, most of them under five. There are also two or three older girls who are now able to help the sisters in looking after the younger children. The impression is that of being in a very extended family, where the fundamental ingredients are not lacking for the healthy growth of the little guests. The first of all is the love that you breathe from the first moments in which you find yourself in that context. Yesterday Sopada had the privilege of donating a considerable amount of clothes that were just right for the children present, generously provided by her lifelong friend Simonetta Bertozzi. After an initial approach characterized by curiosity, the orphans literally attacked us. Each of them wanted to take their place on our knees, or on our backs. Their "little hands" were everywhere! A really good moment. We will keep an eye on that beautiful reality, which is supported exclusively by the charity of individual benefactors and NGOs. A big thank you to Ramos Ramos Vodounon, valuable collaborator of SOPADA for the Atlantique region. (Google translate)

Mathieu is a 15-year-old boy with disabilities, born during a complicated twin birth. His brother had no consequences, unfortunately he did. Certainly for the family in extreme poverty it is not easy to cure him, yet for how he is loved and pampered, it seems a blessing. I found happy, positive, grateful parents. They live in a neighborhood of Ouidah, made up of small houses attached to each other, built in raw laterite earth. The sandy courtyard is neat and clean. The neighborhood lives in symbiosis with them and solidarity seems a matter of course. Our presence brought a lot of joy. In fact, from today the family will no longer have to jump through hoops to rent a ramshackle wheelchair with which Mathieu cannot even find a support for his feet. What we brought him is all of him, new and appropriately adapted to his disability. It would be enough to look at the photos to understand Mathieu's sweet and jovial character. It is not easy to see children aware of their physical limitations express so much joy and serenity. And our heart remains "touched", our mind "disoriented" and it is easy to feel a sense of shame for the luck we have to be - as they say - "normal", and to have the courage to complain always. Personally, today's experience leads me to feel a strong feeling of gratitude towards that little boy, who according to common thought seems to be a kind of "mistake of nature", from the efficiency point of view of modern societies it does not bring any advantage. Yet we started with the intention of simply giving a pram as a gift, and we returned with the greatest gift he could give us: his smile. But also one more reason to reflect on the hierarchy of our values.

We are obliged (and we do it willingly) to thank once again Carlo Prandi and his wife who generously financed the project. (Google Translated)

#aiutiamoliacasalorodavvero

www.sopada.org

The third kid to benefit from the new tricycle is BLESSING. He lives in a wonderful village surrounded by palm trees and mangoes. Everything is in perfect order. The houses are still made of raw laterite mud. He is 12 years old and, although he moves with great agility (after school he goes to the fields to help his father!), Since birth he was born with a severe malformation in the lower limbs. He has a somewhat shy and reserved character, but with his friends he changes completely. Everyone loves him. Nobody makes him weigh his handicap. Yesterday he was able to receive the gift through NGO SOPADA and the Raoul Follerau foundation. But this would not have been possible without the sum that Carlo Prandi made available for the project.

BLESSING after a few moments of hesitation, he immediately learned to lead his vehicle surrounded by the enthusiasm of his friends, the emotion of his mother and also ours. It was a joyful moment that was hard to describe. He immediately realized that that vehicle could somehow carry even small "passengers". We proposed to him to be a Taxi Driver! You can see that he is good! Now he can go to school without being carried on his back by his classmates. He has become an independent boy. A day, yesterday, which I believe will remain etched in him and in our hearts. (Google translated)

Pascal is an 8-year-old boy with a motor disability from birth. He is fatherless. He attends the fourth grade with great profit. His school is located in a rural area about ten kilometers from Ouidah. Every morning his mum loads him on his shoulders and accompanies him to lessons. Pascal was the object of our attention. The case of him was proposed to us by the association "Raoul Follerau" and was welcomed with enthusiasm by his friend Jonathan Ivan Cosentini, who wanted to finance the tricycle with which Pascal will be able to move and move in complete autonomy for many years. . In fact, the vehicle is designed to "grow" with him, with its comfortable adjustable seat. He is related in an agile way since his strength is that of a child, but in the future the relationship may be changed. We went to look for him at school where he and his many classmates were waiting for us eager to celebrate the coveted gift with him. We could say that this is his birthday present as it falls on Easter Day, now imminent. If it is true, as it is true, that it is the day of the Resurrection, one would think that it is a little bit so for him too. Certainly his life will change for the better, we are sure! We found him in his desk, in the front row, smiling, perfectly integrated into his context. He is one of the top of the class, very intelligent, tidy and polite. His companions love him. He does not seem uncomfortable with his disability, perhaps a little excited to be at the center of the scene for a piece of the morning. He did his "test" in front of everyone, trying to understand how his special bicycle worked. He also tried the brake with evident satisfaction. I must say that all those present felt great emotion in seeing the happiness of Pascal, his mother, his brother and all the children who surrounded him with sincere sharing. We renew a big thank you to Jonathan who together with the tricycle has made available a sum for his mother so that he can start a small business, useful to support the family. (Google translated)

Since yesterday Miracle, a 16-year-old disabled boy has his own "tricycle" which makes him fully independent in his travels. Unfortunately, he is a bit behind with the school because of his mobility problem. His legs do not support him from birth. Yet he is an intelligent, lively and full of ambition boy. So he will try to complete his compulsory school cycle. But his secret dream is to learn the craft of a shoemaker. We certainly know that he would have the skills. But the professional course for learning has a cost and he should remain for the entire duration in a boarding school where a small amount is required for room and board. We will see. For now we are content to have given him this fundamental tool together with a sum for his sister, who takes care of him. With that amount, products that can be easily sold on the market were purchased wholesale, which therefore represent the start of a new source of livelihood, given that Miracle's two parents died. We brought the tricycle, with arm advancement, directly to the home of the boy who was anxiously waiting for us. What moved us most was the joy of him together with that of his sister and nephew who even seemed jealous of the new “little gem” destined for his uncle. We thought we would find a sad boy, as is often expected of a disabled person in the common imagination, but instead we found ourselves in front of a joyful, nice and above all loved boy. I think what he lacked was just a little autonomy, although, the social worker Jovinca told us, he is full of initiative, he juggles everything well. He is able to help the family even by drawing water from the well. A true force of nature! His first tests on the tricycle see him a bit awkward, but soon he will already have full mastery of the vehicle. Getting to know him was a touching but joyful experience at the same time. As were the moments lived with him during the delivery together with his sister, nephew, Jovinca and Sylvestre, Paola and myself (as SOPADA representatives). This is the first of three tricycles that will be delivered next week. Yesterday's event was made possible thanks to Carlo Prandi who financed this project and whom we sincerely thank on behalf of SOPADA and especially MIRACLE. (Google translated)

#aiutiamoliacasalorodavvero

 It is the fourth consecutive year that we have succeeded in our intent to accompany the 24 orphaned children of Penissolou on their school path, who continue to attend school with enthusiasm and profit. We are extremely proud to have been able to keep faith with our commitment which, we reiterate it, is to satisfy the desire of these young people to continue until the achievement of a diploma and eventually complete it with a degree for the most deserving. the real food that is needed in Africa today is the culture that makes them more aware and more able to manage their own future without being affected by external influences.

The donors who have made this possible are: MARZIA CONTI, BARBARA BENASSI, VASCO ASCOLINI, OLIVIERI SERRI ANNA, LUCA LASAGNI AND VERONICA ABBATE, ANDREA AND PAOLA.

The novelty of this year is that we have also managed to guarantee school supplies for another 28 orphaned children in a southern school, in a district of Ouidah, in Zongbodji thanks to an important donation of pumps from XFORM company of Reggio Emilia donated to us and that we partly sold to finance this project. In addition to this donation, others from private parties have been added that we like to mention:

Luigi Dalla Porta, Annamaria Lorenzini and husband, Anna Barbieri and husband and Serenella Tozzi. A warm thanks goes to my friend Ramos Voudunon and to his brother Elisée who replaced me in the delivery since I was fighting my battle with the covid at that time.

oogleIn a very festive atmosphere, a quadrangular football organized by SOPADA took place in Penissoulou. We used it as a pretext not only to give the village a moment of festive joy, but also to thank Simonetta Soncini who acted as an intermediary for ASD PROGETTO INTESA ALL CAMP who donated football shirts and shorts that had only been used a few times. from their teams in the province of Reggio Emilia. While we were there, we took the opportunity to buy a real regulation ball in leather. What seems very small to us is experienced with enthusiasm here. In this regard, we have set ourselves a goal: to organize in the not too distant future a real tournament between the various villages that are located in the municipality of Bassila, complete with cups and trophies. This event, which will be repeated every year and will be called "Sopada Trophy". Who knows that from that dusty field someone can take the "flight" to other distant fields? (Google translated)

Also this year it was possible to provide a scholarship to the orphaned schoolchildren of the village of Penessolu. However, they live in families - often those of their grandparents - who welcomed them but who, living in poverty, could not afford to send them to school. The handover ceremony took place in the presence of the local authorities, the teachers, the children of Sopada and the representatives of the families. There are 24 children who started their school with enthusiasm and dedication a few years ago, proving that investing in education and culture where the soil is fertile pays off in the long run. They will be the ruling class of tomorrow, of an Africa that will be able to fight global challenges on an equal footing. With the help of our Italian friends we were able to guarantee the expenses necessary for attending school courses. With the sum collected we provided a kit including books, notebooks, pencils, colored markers, compass, ruler, square, protractor, the blackboard with its colored chalk. In addition, school fees have been paid and we have also given them a figure that will be used for the daily snack. This year, compared to last year, we have saved on the budget, as many of them did not need a new kit that we had already provided a year ago. Only a few have crumpled or worn it and we needed to replace it. In fact, 50 euros are left over. Another € 100 was added later and will remain available for future initiatives on the spot promoted by Sopada and which we will promptly report to you. As you can see, not a single euro is wasted and once again the estimate is not disregarded. I apologize for the quality of the photos which is not very high, on the other hand the means available to the Sopada boys are what they are! I remember the list of benefactors that I list below:

• Marzia Conti and Barbara Benassi
• Roberta Immovilli
• Antonio Chinnici
• Anna Maria Lorenzini and Paterlini Learco
• Carlo Prandi
• Vasco Ascolini
• Veronica and Luca Lasagni on the occasion of the baptism of little Damiano
• Corrado Askerz

A warm THANK YOU to everyone!            (Google translate)

This afternoon at the "maison de la jeunesse" in Penessolou (Benin) scholarships were awarded, for the second year, to the 24 orphans of the village. Local authorities were not lacking (the head of the village, the school director, the members of Sopada), the children receiving the aid and their relatives, mostly grandparents or uncles. In fact, we want to remember that there are no orphanages and it is only thanks to relatives who can live in the warmth of a family. Unfortunately they are all more or less destitute and it is only thanks to the generosity of Sopada and the Italian supporters who can attend school. We have it from kindergarten to adolescence. One of them is already an apprentice and is learning a manual trade. This year we decided to give the children a school kit made up of numerous notebooks of various types, 4 ballpoint pens in two colors, chalkboards for the blackboards, sponge for erasing, colored markers, compasses, glue and paper to cover books and notebooks and the fabric to make the uniform. In addition, an envelope with a figure that will be used by the tailor to tailor the uniform of each schoolboy. This choice is given by the risk that by giving only money, these are then used for purposes that are not exactly relevant to teaching, with the risk that some children may leave the school due to lack of material. At the end of the delivery ceremony, large distribution of clothes for everyone, just arrived by ship from Italy. As expected we did not receive from the offers the total amount that was needed of € 850, but only € 690, but as previously stated we anticipated the difference. If you want to participate, you will know that they will be for the purpose which, I repeat, is already a reality. you will find the bank details on the contact page. A very big thank you to the family of Remigio Paterlini, to the family Barbara Abbate and Emanuele Gallo and to Corrado Askerz. (Google translate)

A nurse from the small hospital in Penessolou informed us that the beds, very simple with a foam rubber mattress, were not equipped with sheets. We didn't have time to submit to our Italian friends who are following us for a subscription, so without wasting time we bought 60 meters of excellent white cotton fabric and gave the job to a local tailor to make 24 sheets. The villagers then organized a nice party with all the hospital operators, the village chief and some religious authorities, for the delivery of the sheets. Each authority expressed its thanks in turn, arousing not a few moments of emotion. For us it's just a small gesture. For them it's a huge thing. It is true that the things that are obvious for us, are often not even conceivable for them! It was a wonderful moment of sharing. On this occasion we also made a commitment to build a new pavilion to increase the number of beds. We hope this will soon become reality. (Google translate)

I managed to get to Pénessoulou - the village in the center / north of BENIN - where the S.O.P.A.D.A. founded by Andrea Puglisi, from me and from Alidou, from Benin - before evening ... so as to immediately visit the small public health facility that here is called "DISPENSAIRE" ..

We choose as the "venue" of the interventions the room on the right in the photo, used for Vaccinations. It's perfect for me, it just needs to be cleaned up and equipped.

And so the next day I, Alidou and his brothers

we begin to prepare the work environment ....

We need to prepare all the "tools of the trade" in an ergonomic way, so that I can easily

identify them and take them as needed; and special trays filled with liquid that disinfect the instruments cold, without the need for heat, in which to place them once used!

I prepare a liter of disinfectant in the bottle of water ... in which I dissolve a special powder that I brought from home. The spittoon is a plastic bin .. and it is very important because we do not have the vacuum cleaner. But I also have a lot of cotton slugs prepared as a swab.

I receive a visit from the young chief of the village

The Doctor who directs the dispensary is of great help to me in preparing the "work camp" ... then together we go to visit the patients who have been waiting for hours for hours ... to do

a first visit and establish WHO between them has an ongoing infection and therefore must take an antibiotic before performing the extraction.

I also explain that I will not be able to solve all the problems, nor perform fillings! I can only perform extractions that are causing abscesses and cutaneous fistulas with pus output!

Initially everyone, doctor and nurse of the dispensary, come to assist intrigued ..

Then only one is left!

Almost always a patient has more than one draw to do.

often asks to make 3 or 4 ... to a gentleman I removed 10 teeth (!!) leaving him toothless!

but in the end he thanked me happy !!

Even the only nurse I had disappears (they have their patients to do) and so

I get help from the dispensary director, then he too disappears and I'm alone!

Thus "I promote in the field" the brother of Alidou - Akim - who had already shown himself much more alert and alert than the nurses!

What you can NOT appreciate in the photos ... is the great difficulty of working in those conditions. Extracting a lower arch molar with the patient lying down is not only an ergonomic absurdity, but forces you to work for hours in a position that splits your back !!

If to all this add the heat, the sweat of the patients, the flies and the fact that within a whole day I was not offered a single glass of water, we can partly explain the great difficulty of working in conditions which are NOT normal.

Another aspect is that of the "extreme technical difficulty" in performing certain drawings! Africans - men in particular - are very strong, with a powerful and tall physique. And they have equally strong and long "dental roots". Add the fact that the outside of the tooth has been carious and soft for a long time, you often don't know which way to vote for you! You do not have the appropriate means to do so !!

(the tooth goes to pieces as soon as you touch it) But the patient has pain and expects you to solve his problem! Then you start the draw but soon you realize that you can't do it. So? Do you send it away after half an hour, sometimes an hour of attempts (with 15 people still to do ..) and the roots still inside ?? NO!! it is your reputation and the great trust that everyone places in you!

And so an initiated patient must be finished! Even if it takes an hour! Some interventions have been long and difficult. Akim, who is a farmer by profession, immediately understands what and how he must do to help me !!

While I perform these difficult interventions, even a nurse comes to look around while nursing her baby! We are all exhausted !! But, despite the temptation to interrupt some extraction and leave "inside" fragments of the root, we have completed ALL the interventions ... and finished ALL the patients arrived ... even those who had not put themselves on the list reaching the last moment!!

We finished that it was 19.00, that is almost evening. Tired .. but very satisfied !!

The SOPADA Team was rightly proud of the organization set up ... but above all happy to have given a "concrete" demonstration of what it means "to help Africans in their home" that is to help them live in better conditions on their land, between their own people, with their own culture and traditions so that however modest they may be, they are always very decents !!!

Dignity that is completely lost when they live as illegal immigrants ... immigrants in a land and a culture that does not belong to them !! So: few words and many facts ... concrete actions !!

I would like to ask the many who defend an immigration that Africans detest (!) To those who are only moved by "words" in the face of the tragedies it causes, if they have ever done something really concrete for them!

I would like to ask if they ever smelled the blood mixed with their sweat !!

If you have ever wondered if there is more DIGNITY in a refugee camp or in the village of an African farmer who lives without cars, TV sets and fashionable clothes but with slow and calm rhythms in his house of straw and mud, cultivating a small plot of land that gives him food to live, with his wife and children nearby and the elderly parent sitting on the door and in which the only noise you hear is the bleating of the newborn kid.

And, finally, a small gesture - always organized by the NGO SOPADA - completed the next day before leaving Benin: the distribution of a large quantity of clothes arrived by container from Europe, a gift from our Italian friends. (Google translate)

Every year the district of PENESSOULOU organizes a week of congresses that brings together its sons and daughters. These are the great moments of meeting between families, parents, friends etc ... after several months of absence from the respective villages. On this occasion, a uniform is worn for the entire population without difference in age or sex, as can be seen in the published images. It is normal that there are people who feel isolated simply because they are not in the possibility of having this uniform. This is how the NGO SOPADA, having noticed this, allowed the 24 orphans, thanks to the sum that was advanced, to share this annual joy in the same way as all the others with a sum of 210,000 FCFA / 320 €. Thanks to the NGO staff, the two godmothers of the 24 orphans received their share of fabric and the money needed to make the uniforms. The beneficiaries' surprise was great. They therefore express their gratitude with the following message:

"Long live the NGO SOPADA and the Italian benefactors who always come to give us joy, they give us a smile every time we are immersed in sadness. May God bless you and give you back everything you gave us a hundred times! "

Well, it is certain that what is done in their favor requires nothing in return, but it is good to hear this beautiful sentence of gratitude. What seems a small thing to us, it looks great to them! This helps us to reflect. In the photos you can see a part of those children and some moments of the congress. (Google translate)

On Saturday 8 December, in the municipality of Penessolou (Benin), 24 orphans of primary and secondary schools were gathered for the awarding of scholarships for which we collected funds starting from last October. In the photos you can see the guys who show the envelopes containing the amount needed to pay for school fees for the current year. In a photo you can also see some children showing the photo of Luca Lasagni with the little Leonardo who, on the occasion of his baptism together with his wife Veronica Abbate, wanted to allocate a figure for the purpose. Among the many donors we like to mention a few: Vasco Ascolini, Antonio Chinnici, Andrea Guidetti and Lara Munari, Corrado Askerz, Elena Borciani and others who have expressed the desire to remain anonymous. Thanks to all those who once again responded generously, surpassing the figure that served the purpose. Precisely for this reason, the collection on this project remains in place until August next year when we prepare another sum to continue to accompany these poor but deserving children in their schooling.  (Google translate)

Given the many difficulties and gaps in teaching and schooling in Benin schools in particular and in Africa in general, the NGO SoPADA, after public primary schools, extends its good social and humanitarian actions to secondary schools

(CEG) of the departments of the Republic of BENIN. To contribute to the improvement and development of the educational system and to the level of teachers and students, the SoPADA NGO has set itself the following objectives:

- Create reading days for schoolchildren, students, teachers and reading enthusiasts creating reading clubs;

- Create a traveling library to start benefiting all the reading clubs of the DONGA department;

- Provide the Pénessoulou CEG library;

- Participate in strengthening the skills of teachers and students by providing them with new generation educational texts;

- select children in difficult situations;

- Provide every year material and financial support in the form of scholarships to deserving members of the DONGA department. Therefore, on 15/10/2018 133 books were handed over to PENESSOULOU CEG and 2 other scientific series "LABEL INFO" for classes 3 and Terminal.   (Google translate)

SoPada continues its commitment to schooling in rural areas of the Donga region. We got to know the reality of 24 orphaned children from the village of Penessolou who, despite being deserving, have great difficulty in supporting expenses for attending school courses. We gave them, in September, part of the clothes we had sent from Italy in May and we promised that with the help of SoPada's friends we would have provided for school fees. This is why on October 4th we published on Facebook the goal we set ourselves.

The cost of one school year for each child amounts to € 34.11, divided as follows:

- School fees € 5.35

- Supplies (pens, notebooks, books) and uniform € 10.00

- Snack € 15,26

- Various events (small school holidays) € 3.50

The total sum calculated for the 24 children is € 818.64 which we will try to collect before Christmas. Anyone interested in contributing to the project can pay their offer by bank transfer to:

Puglisi Andrea
IBAN IT95 D063 8512 8101 0000 0002 184
Reason: Orphans Scholarship of Penessolou

NGO SOPADA
Bank of Africa
Account 003283710001
Swift / Bic: AFRIBJBJXXX
Causal: Bourse d'études orphelins de Penessolou

A big thank you to all those who want to contribute to the realization of the project.   (Google translate)

Sunday on 24 June 2018
Many Italian friends in these last months, have delivered goods of various kinds, very useful to the inhabitants of our rural villages. Among these aids we have mainly sent children's clothes and shoes, T-shirts, caps, training suits and safety shoes for our farmers. We therefore took advantage to send also some equipment for the farm. A lady gave us a beautiful laser copying machine that we will use in the Sopada office. The goods will travel by sea in a container that will arrive at the beginning of August 2018. many thanks to the company Speroni s.p.a., to Laura Iotti,  Mrs. Sanna,  Silvia Agosti and  Simonetta Soncini. (Google translation)