Embassy Delegation Promotes Girls’ Education in Northern Benin

In celebration of women’s history month, Ambassador Raynor traveled to northern Benin to support several women’s empowerment programs including the donation of Nouveaux Horizons books and One World Futbol soccer balls to a rare all-girls public high school in Parakou, located seven hours north of Cotonou. Ambassador Raynor’s remarks highlighted the tangible economic and community development benefits of girl’s education and also discussed the potential of women’s empowerment through sports, critical messages to encourage girls to stay in school. 2014 YALI Washington Fellow, Tatiana Houndji,  also provided a motivational message to the girls encouraging them to work hard and step up as leaders to in their country’s development. The girls were extremely grateful and demonstrated the progress of their English club by performing both Benin’s national anthem and a poem for the Ambassador in English.