School Construction in Benin.
From May 3 to 10, 2023, Foundation Chairman Christian Krämer and Managing Director Tilo Braune undertook a trip through Ghana, Benin and Ethiopia to meet potential partners for new school construction projects and to determine the actual need for new school buildings.
During their short stay in Cotonou/Benin, they met a delegation from the NGO HUENUSU from Gnandokpa near Zakpota in the heart of the country. The members of the association not only reported on the need for classrooms, but were also able to present their experience with schools donated by Germany. A representative of the German Embassy in Benin confirmed the positive assessment of the local stakeholders.
Although we still had to look for further partners for the project, we assured them that we would generally support the construction of the school.
UPDATE 1: Start of school construction in Gnandokpa/Benin on December 28, 2023.
A few weeks after the signing of the cooperation agreement between the Peter Krämer Foundation, the Fly and Help Foundation and its support partner, AIDAaura, our project partner Ossara e.V., together with the local NGO HUENUSU, started construction with a ground-breaking ceremony.
UPDATE 2: The construction work is making rapid progress.
The construction work in Gnandokpa is progressing at an impressive pace. Within three weeks of the foundation stone being laid, a well has already been drilled, the foundations have been laid and the first walls have been erected. The pit for the gender-segregated toilets should be excavated by the end of January.
Besuch in Cotonou/Benin, um u.a. die Delegation des Vereins NGO HUENUSU aus dem Ort Gnandokpa zu treffen.
The first trucks roll in.
The schoolchildren follow the construction.
The official groundbreaking ceremony.
The foundations are laid.
And the first walls are erected.
UPDATE 3: School opening in April 2024.
In May 2023, together with a representative of the German Embassy in Benin, we held talks with representatives of the NGO HUENSO from the Za-Kpota region in the heart of the country. They impressively described their previous activities in the field of education, which have also been supported by the German Embassy for years. We agreed to cooperate with our friends from Benin with the aim of building a school building in Za-Kpota in 2024.
Back in Hamburg, we found a suitable partner in the Fly and Help Foundation, which also brought AIDA Cruises on board as a co-financier. The Hamburg association Ossara e.V., with many years of experience as a project developer in Africa, was brought on board as the responsible project partner.
Construction on site started on December 28, 2023. The construction of the school, a well and sufficient toilets was completed in a record time of 16 weeks. The school has now been open since April 2024. Hundreds of children now have the opportunity to learn at this new school and gain the tools they need for a better future.
We thank all our partners for their support.
