Benin - Affassinou Nadege

Affassinou’s story is one of resilience, social exclusion, and ultimately joy. Past an initial rocky patch, and with the support of her teachers, she started enjoying learning. With curiosity and determination, she topped her class. This all changed when she was sexually coerced and fell pregnant. She experienced social isolation, mistreatment from medical staff and her wider community. She faced a traumatic pregnancy and birthing experience. Her parents allowed her to finish school – this is when she joined the Sport for Education and Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa programme, through a local organisation. The Organisation for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity (ODDB ONG), in Benin, works to empower young people and include them in sustainable development initiatives. Through the SESLA programme, ODDB organised sporting and environmental education activities. Football attracted girls to the programme and became a strong motivator to stay in school. The girls also got involved in income-generating activities, like agroforestry, improving their environmental protection knowledge and life chances. We contributed to the SESLA programme in South Africa by supporting the local staff and young people using the Participatory Video and Most Significant Change methodology to document and articulate their stories of change. Find more of us here: 🌱 Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gI132D 🌱 Instagram:   / insight_share   🌱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insi... 🌱 YouTube:    / insightshare   🌱 Facebook:   / insightshareuk