A Letter from Benin
Unfortunately, one of our finest won’t be able to make it to the Alumni Game, but we’ll forgive him, he’s doing great work in the Peace Corps in Benin! If you have the chance, read the note from Tom Szymanski and donate to his project!
Hello Everyone,
So, I’ve been working as a rural community health volunteer here in Benin for the past eight months and it has been an extremely rewarding experience thus far. I may have mentioned some of my activities and projects to you in passing in what I’m sure seems a far-off place, but I’d like to introduce you to what I consider to be a very exciting initiative that you can actually be a part of. Here is a description:
In the small agrarian village of Bessassi nearly everyone works in or with fields in some capacity. While subsistence agriculture does exist, crops are primarily harvested for export. As such, although Bessassi itself cultivates a wide array of nutritious produce the marketplace is paradoxically empty of these wholesome crops. Those who do not work with agriculture tend to be individuals who operate their own shops. These shopkeepers are overwhelmingly ‘foreigners’ coming either from other parts of Benin, or more commonly from neighboring Nigeria. The absence of a venue from which to sell local produce combined with the fact that the marketplace is dominated by foreigners has had drastic consequences for Bessassi, particularly in areas of communal health and socio-economic development.
These consequences have not gone unnoticed and currently a viable solution is within sight. A joint effort between a women’s group that makes traditional fabric by hand and the Committee for Tourism Development of Kalale have proposed plans to open and operate a community cooperative. The cooperative will be comprised of a workshop for fabric-making, a restaurant, and a boutique. These entities will be interdependent and all dedicated to the promotion of communal health, the empowerment of women, and to the facilitation of the socio-economic development of Bessassi itself. The eagerness of the community is reflected in the fact that preliminary construction activities have already begun, yet further funding is being solicited to ensure that Bessassi will be fully capable of taking ownership of some of its most pressing issues.
Below I have included the link to where you can make a donation. ALL DONATIONS MADE ARE TAX-DEDUCTABLE, AND WITH NO OVERHEAD CHARGES 100% OF THE DONATIONS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO MY PROJECT! Please feel free to ask any questions about the project itself or Bessassi more generally. Every contribution counts and on behalf of myself and the people of Bessassi, I would like to thank you for your consideration. Although my access to communication is limited I hope to speak with you soon! In the meantime check out my photo album “Benin”.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=680-207
With a firm handshake in thought,
Tom
