SOS Schools in Benin

SOS Nursery School Abomey-Calavi

In the SOS Nursery School of Abomey-Calavi, 105 children were enrolled during the school year 2007-2008. The total number of children this year is 97 which are split up as follows: 10 SOS children (six girls and four boys) and 87 children from the community. Among the children from the community, six (6) whose parents are very poor are given scholarships to attend the school.

All the planned educational activities have been executed and concerned: education for good health, speaking, awaking the scientific and technological abilities of children. Besides, four educational trips were made to the potage garden of Cadjehoun in Cotonou, the sewing workshop of the guest centre Mgr Parisot and to the train station.

The school supervision division organised some educational sessions to which the staff of the nursery school actively took part.

The year 2008 was also marked by a number of important events, among which was the celebration, together with the SOS Children’s Village, of the international day of SOS Children’s Villages. On that occasion, the SOS Nursery School organised a kermes and made a trip to the lake city of Ganvié. Christmas was also celebrated in anticipation on December 19th 2008 and the children visited an attractive park called “Magic Land”.

The most important assets of the SOS Nursery School Abomey-Calavi are its geographic position, the quality of education given and the good working environment. With such assets, the SOS Nursery School attracts a lot of candidates for vocational trainings. In 2008, six people were received for vocational trainings, amongst whom were two expatriates.

Many human resources development activities were conducted and included:

• Presentation by the National Director of documents on: the Child Protection Policy, the Child Centred Approach, ban of corporal punishments and the International Convention on Child Rights.
• Participation to sport activities and English courses organised for staff in Abomey-Calavi;
• Training on the management of performance;
• Training on performance indicators;
• Talk with the Village Director on the SOS Village Manual.
  

Furthermore, the stock of educational materials increased with the acquisition of new CD and DVD players, various educational games, artistic and decorative materials drawings symbolising the nursery school and its environment.

The staff of the nursery school made a leisure trip to Lomé (Togo).

SOS Primary School Abomey-Calavi

At class resuming on October 2008, the SOS Primary School enrolled 368 children among whom there are 70 SOS children with 43 boys and 27 girls, whereas there were 350 children last year, which means an increase rate of 5.42%. With a maximum of 35 children per classes, teachers were able to give individual and personal follow-up to each of the children and this implies good performances achieved in our school.

The following statistics show moving up rate in each of the primary school grade:

• 1st grade: 94.54%
• 2nd grade: 95.16%
• 3rd grade: 90.66%
• 4th grade: 81.52%
• 5th grade: 87.50%
  

The success rate at the Primary Leaving certificate for the 6th grade was 88.46% and this result shows that more efforts are still to be done by the educational staff for a better performance that will lead to achieve a 100% success rate in next year’s examination. The SOS Primary School has currently a total of eight (14) children having scholarships, including (8) new children and (6) former ones, most of whom are beneficiaries of the Family Strengthening Programme.

From January to June, educational trips were organized for each school grade on the basis of a formerly planned calendar. Another activity organized in 2008 is the “open door days” which took place during the celebration of the International SOS Day, on June 23rd 2008.

The required support was given to children showing learning challenges by a specialist teacher. Time was planned in each grade for teachers to initiate children to computer using. English course is also given to the children from the first to the sixth grade by the English teacher.

In terms of capacity building, teachers were trained in speech therapy and in how to conduct learning evaluation as regard the Learner Centred Approach. In-the-job trainings were also organised for teachers on how to hold educational sessions.

Within the framework of the campaign against corporal punishments in schools, a team from the SOS Primary School went to other community schools to sensitizing teachers and various stakeholders against this practice in the learning process. Alternatives to this practice were suggested to the target groups.

It should also be noted that a new dynamism was infused to extra school activities which took place on Monday and Thursday after afternoon classes.

Two months ago, pupils renewed the members of the Executive Committee of the School. This committee was created in SOS Children schools to improve the participation of children in the decisions of the school.

SOS Secondary School Abomey-Calavi

The SOS Secondary School, which opened in 2002, has 420 pupils in 14 classes, with workshops for arts and fine crafts subjects, a library and a dormitory for boarding students..

The SOS Arts and Craft Secondary School has currently one hundred and forty six (146) learners with a moving up rate of 96.77% against 95% last year. The success rate at the Professional Ability Certificate exam was 92.30% compared to 87.88% last year. The success rate at the Advanced Vocational Diploma in Arts, organized this year for the first time in Benin is 96.15%. Three (3) pupils got first class honour and eight (8) pupils got upper second class honor.

All the SOS youngsters successfully passed their exams.

Pupils of the SOS Arts and Craft Secondary school took part to many artistic, cultural and sport events either on the national and international level. Within this framework, they were invited to perform during events and celebrations in many governmental departments. They took part in a festival called FETELYCOP, organized by private promoters and during which the SOS Art and Craft Secondary School won the first place both in theatre, choreography and interpretation of women song. The second place was also won by young for song interpretation in their category. Many prizes were given to the school as participant, among which a desktop, some audio-visual devices and other gadgets.

During a radio program called “Stars’ appointment” broadcasted on the WEKE (BYMINS) radio channel, pupils of the SOS Arts and Craft Secondary School won the first place in women and men song interpretation and the second place in choreography.

More than thirty pupils took part in the artistic creative workshop organized by the International Labor Office against child labour. On this occasion, they produced some creative works both in music and fine arts. The school was also invited for an artistic exhibition organised by the network of NGOs that take care of children (ResPESD) where personal artistic works produced by the pupils were exhibited. In September 2008, about ten (10) pupils participated in a creative workshop on the theme “The ELSEWHERE” together with an organisation called “LES ARTS VAGABONDS”. On that occasion, more than fifty artistic drawings were exhibited at the French Cultural Centre in Cotonou.

On the international level, the SOS Arts and Craft Secondary School participated to the children’s international integration festival called “SUKABE” in Niger and the pupils qualified for the first place in creative dancing and in storytelling.

The school also participated to a basketball tournament with a Protestant school and to various statutory championships organised by the Technical Learning Department either in men handball, volleyball or athletics. In male athletics, the school won the second place at the divisional level with two medals in bronze and a lady won a gold medal in high jumping during the national and divisional competitions.

In order to improve the learning process, different types of equipments were acquired: seven desktops, two sewing machines, two large sewing tables, four ironing metals, some professional tables for computer assisted music, some didactical books in music and fine arts.

SOS Nursery School Dassa-Zoume

For the year 2008, the SOS Nursery School Dassa-Zoumè enrolled 48 children of whom 13 are from the SOS Village (6 girls and 7 boys) and 35 from the community. Three children from poor families, who live in the neighborhood of the SOS village are benefiting from the SOS scholarships programme.

As far as educational trips are concerned, the SOS Nursery School visited the cotton factory of Ouissi, a village that is 12 km far from Dassa-Zoumè, the ostrich rearing farm of Gbowèlè near to Dassa-Zoumè and to the royal palace of Dassa-zoumè. Film viewing sessions were organised for the children in order to improve their listening ability and their visual attention.

As part for leisure activities, children were initiated to the traditional dance called “GOUMBE” which they performed during the end of year celebrations. Other extra school activities such as choreography, theatre, drawing workshop and decoration were also exercised.

Children from the SOS Children’s Village played and enjoyed all the games installed inside and outside the nursery school and interacted very well with the children of the community. The sport playing station was rehabilitated and two game sets were acquired.

In terms of human resources development, the staff of the nursery school was trained and followed presentations on:

-    Speech therapy
-    Behavioral problems with the teenagers
-    Performance management and appraisal
-    Finances
-    The implementation of the B.A.S.E. (Bonding Attachment and Self Esteem) concept
-    The Strategic plan 2009-2016

The personnel also travelled to Kara in Togo for exchange with their pairs and attended regularly the English courses and the sport activities planned every week for the SOS staff.

In order to strengthen the capacity of the personnel, a new person was recruited to support the work of the existing staff.

The SOS Nursery School Dassa-Zoumè also carried out educational exchange programs with the other nursery schools in the community.  Christmas was celebrated in anticipation on December 20th, 2008 with all the children of the nursery school who were given gifts.

SOS Primary School Dassa-Zoumè

In 2008, the number of children in the primary school was 234 against 212 in 2007, which equals to an increase of 10.37%. There were 85 children from the SOS village, 149 children from the community among whom five are supported with scholarships.

On the educational level, all the programs well executed and the moving up rate from the first to the sixth grade is as following:   

• 1ST grade: 94.54%
• 2nd grade: 95.16%
• 3rd grade: 90.66%
• 4th grade: 81.52%
• 5th grade: 87.50%
• 6th grade: 100%.
  

The global success rate of the school was 94%.

Children from the SOS Children’s Village are among the best of the school. The individual monitoring ensured by the specialist teacher, together with the support of the psychologist, provided a good result for eight out of nine (8/9) children having learning difficulties.

Extra school activities were performed with full participation of all the children who showed interest with the following: world music, theatre, traditional dance, football, sewing, painting and drawing, basketball and shoes making.

On the sport and cultural field, the SOS Primary School had some football competitions with other schools of the community. During the celebration of the International SOS Day, the children performed sketches which addressed child rights violation.

The library of the school has been extended into a larger hall with complementary shelving and furniture to exhibit the books. Beside, the French association called “Association Villages du Bénin à Orléans” provided the library with important books and didactic materials.

As far as capacity building is concerned, the staff was trained in speech therapy, management of behavioral problems with teenagers, performance management and appraisal, finances, implementation of the B.A.S.E. (Bonding, Attachment and Self-Esteem) and on the strategic plan 2009-2016. The English learning courses and sport activities are carried out for all the personnel.

In terms of partnership, the SOS Primary School advocated for the ban of corporal punishments in schools, in collaboration with the educational division of Dassa-Zoumè. Teachers and educational stakeholders who were present were sensitized on the consequences of such humiliating practices on children.

Additional desks were also acquired for the school in order to easy initiation to computer using for children. The personnel also travelled to Kara in Togo and exchange with their pairs. Christmas was celebrated in anticipation on December 20th, 2008 with all the children from the SOS Primary School. They all received gifts on that occasion.

Two months ago, pupils renewed the members of the Executive Committee of the School. This committee was created in SOS Children Schools to improve the participation of children in the decisions of the school.

SOS Nursery School Natitingou 

The number of children enrolled slightly increased this year and from 48 children in 2007, the nursery school has current 55 children among whom are five SOS children and one child from a poor family who is benefiting from the SOS scholarship programme. This means a growth of about 14.58%.

This is a result of the advertising program specifically arranged to make the SOS Nursery School well known to the community and inform parents on its activities.

The working environment is always kept clean and the flowers are diversified in order to ensure a safe environment to the children.

The film viewing sessions are continued to improve the listening and memory abilities of the children.

The inside and outside playing stations have been increased with new games such as the toboggan, the climbing stairwell, the turnstill, the swing and the swimming pool.

In terms of human resources development, the staff of the nursery school were trained in several areas:

-    Speech therapy

-    Behavioral problems with the teenagers

-    Performance management and appraisal

-    Finances

-    The implementation of the B.A.S.E. (Bonding Attachment and Self Esteem) concept

-    The Strategic plan 2009-2016

The director of the nursery school was also trained on how to conduct research and how to use MS Access. 

In order to strengthen the educational staff of the facility, a new person was recruited.

The documents on corporal punishment and the SOS Manual were also studied by the staff.

The SOS Nursery School also carried out advocacy campaigns against corporal punishments together with the SOS Primary school in some community schools in Natitingou.

Two major celebrations marked the year and concerned the end of the school year on the 25th June and Christmas on 20th December. The children received gifts and toys on these occasions.

The SOS Nursery School has two computers and a permanent access to Internet.

SOS Primary School Natitingou

The SOS Primary School, which opened in October 1999, had more than 180 students taught in 6 classrooms in 2008. There are also workshops, a library and a classroom for special education.

In 2008, the number of children in the primary school was 184 against 154 in 2007, which equals to an increase of 19.48%. The school has 47 children from the SOS village (20 girls and 27 boys), 137 children from the community among whom five are supported with scholarships.

This increase in the number of children enrolled is due to two factors especially the reduction of the school fees by the National Office and the adverts broadcasted for a long period and which helped the community to know more about the SOS Children’s Village of Natitingou as a whole and specifically about the primary school and its activities.

The SOS children achieved good school results thanks to individual monitoring provided to each of them, on the basis of their special needs.

On the educational level, all the programs were executed and the moving up rate from the first to the sixth grade is as following:

•    1ST grade: 96.15%
•    2nd grade: 100%
•    3rd grade: 76%
•    4th grade: 96.42%
•    5th grade: 91.30%  
•    6th grade: 100%

The global success rate of the school was 93.31%.

With the introduction of extra-schools activities, opportunity is given to children to choose a club of their interest and develop their hidden talents.

The end of the school year was celebrated on June 25th 2008 in the presence of the children, their parents and guests from the community.

The staff of the primary school were trained in speech therapy in order to ensure a better follow-up to the children having learning difficulties.

The school Director participated to two workshops, one how to conduct research and the other on the theme “Village directors and school facilities directors together for the implementation of child rights”.
 
The staff of the SOS Primary school organised an advocacy campaign on education without violence in the schools of the community with the participation of children who attended SOS Primary school.

In pursuance of democratic management in the SOS Schools, the School Executive Body has just been elected for a one year term.