PATRIZIA Child Care Parakou, Benin
PATRIZIA Child Care Parakou, Benin is founded in response to the challenges of the central north of Benin. In a country characterized by deep-rooted superstition and poverty, we are committed to end the violence against children and protect their rights.
Benin, located in West Africa, has a low education rate and a low level of education among its more than 10 million residents. Religion and deep-rooted superstition, especially in the north and the border areas of Nigeria, lead to widespread violence against children and disregard for their rights. Over 50% of the population believes in ancient African nature spirits, fueled by free Christian teachings of possession and exorcism.
Children who are born under special circumstances, such as being born feet first or with a disability, are stigmatized by their own families as “witch children” and severely abused or neglected. Children whose family members get ill or who pass away, as well as parents who leave the family, are blamed for the misfortune. As “witch children”, they are locked up, chained, starved, tortured and abandoned to the streets to take care of themselves. The authorities as well as the community rarely take action, although disabled people in Benin are supposed to have access to care, treatment and education according to the law since 2017.
„Our goal is to help children in difficult situations. The support we receive for the implementation of this project will save many lives.”
Brother Auguste Agounkpe
Project leader for PATRIZIA Child Care Parakou
Common goals
Our goal is to establish a child protection center in Parakou, Benin’s third largest city in the central north. The education and care center aims to strengthen children’s rights and raise awareness, particularly about stigmatized “witch children”.
Awareness-raising campaigns in the surrounding 46 communities, 92 health centers and 50 schools are intended to help improve the situation in the long term and to clear up the superstition.
In addition to an education and care center financed by the PATRIZIA Foundation, a safe place for affected children will be built. Together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Sternstunden e.V. and the established partners Franziskaner Helfen and Franciscains-Bénin, the center will take care of the children until they can be integrated into foster families.
100% of your donation goes directly to our projects.
A building of refuge and education
The PATRIZIA Foundation’s Education and Care Center will offer seminars and awareness-raising activities in the conference rooms and will look after around 110 children there each year, of which around 50 will be accommodated there.
Rental income from a guest house with a multifunctional room will cover a large part of the running costs. Construction work started in 2023 to complete the first construction phase before the rainy season. Together with our partners, we are planning to build living quarters on the site of the education center for up to 50 places, 30 of which will be for long-term care of children between the ages of 2 and 7 and 20 for short-term accommodation.
Our 25-year partnerships will ensure a high-quality care offer for the children. An expansion with the construction of an integrative elementary school on the site is in the long-term planning stage.
We thank our supporters!
Our long-time supporter Sonntag&Partner enables us to start building the center immediately through a partnership! We say thank you on behalf of the children.
Support the Child Protection Center Benin and give endangered and abused children a refuge and a future. Donate for the construction of the protection center and the establishment of our Ready for the Future program and improve the living conditions of these children.