Batonga Foundation

WE EQUIP YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS IN BENIN WITH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE. THROUGH LEADERSHIP CLUBS FOR GIRLS, ADOLESCENT GIRLS GAIN CONFIDENCE AND FINANCIAL LITERACY SKILLS. THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING CENTERS, WE ENSURE YOUNG WOMEN HAVE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS THEY CAN USE TO LAUNCH INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIES AND FIND EMPLOYMENT. OUR NETWORK OF LOCAL MENTORS ENSURES THAT EACH GIRL RECEIVES THE SUPPORT AND CARE SHE NEEDS AS SHE TRANSITIONS INTO ADULTHOOD AND MAKES IMPORTANT LIFE DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT HER CAPACITY TO LIVE A FULFILLING AND SAFE LIFE.

THE BATONGA FOUNDATION ENVISIONS A SAFER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE EQUITABLE WORLD IN WHICH ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS CAN THRIVE. IN 2021, THE BATONGA FOUNDATION CONTINUED ITS WORK TO EMPOWER THE INCREDIBLE ADOLESCENT GIRL LEADERS OF CENTRAL BENIN, PILOTED AN EXCITING NEW PROGRAM FOR YOUNG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS, AND TOOK TO THE GLOBAL STAGE TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF AFRICAN WOMEN THROUGH OUR ADVOCACY AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PLATFORMS. BATONGA ALSO USED 2021 TO START PLANNING THE EXPANSION OF ITS REACH BEYOND CENTRAL BENIN TO THE NORTHERN PROVINCE OF ATACORA AS WELL AS THE COUNTRY OF SENEGAL. THESE EXPANSION EFFORTS WILL BE PUT INTO ACTION IN 2022. IN 2021, THE THREE PRIMARY ACTIVITIES FOR BATONGA INCLUDED:EMPOWERING ADOLESCENT GIRLS TO BE LEADERS AND AGENTS OF CHANGE IN THEIR OWN LIVES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL BUILDING, CREATING SOLIDARITY NETWORKS BETWEEN GIRLS, AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO LOCAL MENTORS AND RESOURCES. IN 2020, BATONGA'S ADOLESCENT GIRLS' LEADERSHIP CLUBS (AGLC) HAD RECONFIGURED THEMSELVES INTO 173 MINI-CLUBS TO DECREASE THE NUMBER OF GIRLS PER GROUP DURING THE PEAK OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BENIN. IN Q1 OF 2021, AGLCS RETURNED TO THEIR ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION WITH 103 CLUBS ACROSS 15 COMMUNITIES SERVING 2,506 ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS GIRLS AGES 12-18 YEARS OLD. THE AGE BREAKDOWN OF BATONGA'S GIRLS' LEADERSHIP CLUB PARTICIPANTS IN 2021 WAS AS FOLLOWS: 1,180 12-13-YEAR-OLDS788 14-15-YEAR-OLDS 538 16-18-YEAR-OLDSIN 2021, BATONGA'S ADOLESCENT GIRLS' LEADERSHIP CLUBS: PROVIDED ACCESS TO WEEKLY GIRL-ONLY SAFE SPACES WHERE THEY GAIN A LOCAL FEMALE MENTOR'S SUPPORT, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SECURITY, AS WELL AS RIGHTS, HEALTH, AND FINANCIAL LITERACY KNOWLEDGE;BUILT PEER NETWORKS AND SOCIAL CAPITAL THAT GAVE GIRLS A SENSE OF SOLIDARITY WITH THEIR PEERS AND CREATED SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SAFETY NETS FOR OTHERWISE SOCIALLY ISOLATED GIRLS; ANDIMPROVED THE LIVELIHOODS, CONFIDENCE, AND WELLBEING OF GIRLS BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO ENGAGE IN INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES AND TO LEARN SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS. THE AGLCS SPENT THE MAJORITY OF 2021 EXPLORING CITIZENSHIP, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH OUR "BUDDING CITIZENS" PROJECT FUNDED THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION OF WEST AFRICA. BATONGA'S PROGRAM STAFF WORKED CLOSELY WITH A LOCAL BENINESE ARTIST TO DEVELOP A RICHLY ILLUSTRATED CURRICULUM MODULE EXPLORING 11 LESSONS ON CRITICAL TOPICS AROUND GIRLS' LEADERSHIP, BEING AN ACTIVE AND ENGAGED CITIZEN, AND EXPLORING CIVIC DUTIES IN BENIN. MENTORS SPENT THE YEAR WORKING THROUGH THIS CURRICULUM MODULE WITH GIRLS CLUBS IN-PERSON AS WELL AS VIA BATONGA'S RADIO LESSON PROGRAM. BATONGA'S MENTORS RECORDED A SERIES OF HOUR-LONG CONVERSATIONAL EXPLORATIONS OF THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE BUDDING CITIZENS CURRICULUM WHICH WERE BROADCAST ON 4 LOCAL RADIO STATIONS IN CENTRAL BENIN 48 TIMES IN 2021. DURING EACH CLUB SESSION, MENTORS ASKED GIRLS IF THEY HAD LISTENED TO THAT WEEK'S RADIO LESSON BROADCAST AND OVER THE COURSE OF 2021 THERE WAS AN AVERAGE LISTENERSHIP RATE OF 75% OF GIRLS. ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF OUR CITIZENSHIP AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT IN 2021 WAS THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF 25 GIRL-LED COMMUNITY SERVICE AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ACROSS 15 COMMUNITIES, INDIRECTLY IMPACTING OVER 42,000 RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THINGS FROM COMMUNITY SENSITIZATIONS AROUND GIRLS RIGHTS TO THE CONSTRUCTIONS OF SAFETY BARRIERS ON LOCAL ROADS THAT HAD HIGH RATES OF ACCIDENTAL FATALITIES. GIRLS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A SONG WRITING COMPETITION IN WHICH THEY WROTE EDUCATIONAL LYRICS ABOUT GIRLS' RIGHTS AND CIVIC DUTIES TO LOCAL TRADITIONAL MUSIC, THE WINNERS OF WHICH WE PERFORMED AT THE END OF YEAR COMMUNITY FESTIVALS. THESE 15 COMMUNITY FESTIVALS ENGAGED PARENTS, LOCAL LEADERS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GAVE PARTICIPANT GIRLS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR PROJECTS, SONGS, SKITS, AND OTHER LEARNINGS AND EXPERIENCES FROM THEIR YEAR LONG EXPLORATION OF CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP. BATONGA ALSO FOUNDED A YOUNG LEADERS NETWORK, A GROUP OF 100 ADOLESCENT GIRLS FROM ACROSS THE 15 COMMUNITIES IN CENTRAL BENIN WHERE BATONGA CURRENTLY OPERATES GIRLS' CLUBS. THESE GIRLS APPLIED THROUGH THEIR MENTORS TO JOIN THE LEADERS NETWORK AND WERE CHOSEN BASED ON THEIR MOTIVATION AND DEDICATION TO IMPROVING THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ADVOCATING FOR THE RIGHTS OF GIRLS AND WOMEN. THE LEADERS NETWORK HAS THUS FAR MET WITH LOCAL GOVERNORS TO PRESENT AND SHARE LEARNINGS FROM GIRL-MANAGED COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS IN THEIR VILLAGES AND WHAT THEY SEE AS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ISSUES FACING WOMEN AND GIRLS IN THEIR REGION. FINALLY, THE IMPACT OF THIS YEAR-LONG PROJECT WAS DOCUMENTED THROUGH A SERIES OF VIDEOS. A SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON THE IMPACT OF GIRLS' COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND SUBSEQUENT EXPLORATIONS OF THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AS TOLD THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF GIRLS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, WAS FILMED OVER THE COURSE OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND WILL BE BROADCAST ON LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS IN 2022. ANOTHER SET OF SHORT INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS, CONSISTING OF INTERVIEWS WITH GIRLS, THEIR FAMILIES, MENTORS AND LOCAL LEADERS, EXPLORES THE MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP, LEADERSHIP, AND GENDER EQUALITY. THESE VIDEOS WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS VIA ANDROID TABLETS MANAGED BY THEIR MENTORS. 2. PILOTING AND HONING A NEW PROGRAM FOR THE ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED AT THE END OF 2020, BATONGA'S NEWEST PROGRAM CONCLUDED ITS YEAR LONG PILOT PHASE IN NOVEMBER OF 2021. THE AIM OF THIS PILOT WAS TO TEST DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING RURAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS AND PROFESSIONALLY ACTIVE YOUNG WOMEN IN BENIN AS THEY JOURNEY TOWARDS PROFESSIONAL AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY. BATONGA LAUNCHED AND FACILITATED THE MANAGEMENT OF 50 GROUPS CALLED YOUNG WOMEN'S BUSINESS CIRCLES ACROSS OUR 15 IMPLEMENTATION COMMUNITIES AND RECRUITED 1,121 YOUNG WOMEN PARTICIPANTS AGES 18-30 YEARS OLD. YOUNG WOMEN WHO ENGAGED WITH BATONGA'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT MODEL GAINED ACCESS TO SAFE, WOMEN-ONLY SPACES IN WHICH THEY CAN LEARN TOGETHER, SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND LAUNCH AND TEST SMALL BUSINESS VENTURES IN A LOW-RISK ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH THEIR CIRCLES, PARTICIPANTS WORKED TO BUILD THEIR SKILLS AND WORK READINESS WHILE GENERATING A MORE STABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INCOME OF THEIR OWN. FROM THE 1121 YW ORIGINALLY ENROLLED, 1090 YOUNG WOMEN REMAINED ACTIVELY ENGAGED ALL YEAR (ATTENDING AT LEAST ONE SESSION PER MONTH) IN THE YWBCS WITH A 97.23% ATTENDANCE RATE AT THE END OF THE PILOT PHASE IN NOVEMBER 2021. EACH OF THE 50 BUSINESS CIRCLES RECEIVED A SMALL BUSINESS SEED FUND ($200 USD) AND WORKED WITH THEIR BUSINESS COACH TO DEVELOP INDIVIDUAL AND/OR COLLECTIVE BUSINESS PLANS IN WHICH TO INVEST THEIR FUND. WITHIN A 12 MONTH PERIOD, THE CIRCLES GENERATED A 65% INCREASE WITH A TOTAL PROFIT OF $6763. IN THE CONTEXT OF RURAL BENIN, THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS SIGNIFICANT. THIS INCREASE IN THIS SHORT TIME PERIOD HAS PROVED THAT THE MODEL WORKS FOR OUR TARGET GROUP. 47 YWBC DECIDED TO SHARE THEIR PROFITS AT THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION (A TOTAL OF $6,551), BEFORE STARTING NEW ACTIVITIES. THE 3 REMAINING YWBCS HAVE DECIDED TO CONTINUE THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES FURTHER BEFORE SHARING THEIR PROFITS AS THEY WISH TO GENERATE MORE PROFITS. BY POSTPONING THE SHARING OF THEIR PROFITS, THEY HOPE TO GAIN MORE SEED FUNDING FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL SMALL BUSINESSES AFTER PROFITS SHARING. AS THE PILOT YEAR CAME TO A CLOSE, WE CONDUCTED A POST-TEST SURVEY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PILOT. NOTABLY, THE NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO DESCRIBED THEIR PERSONAL INCOMES AS "INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THEIR NEEDS" DECREASED BY NEARLY HALF FROM PRETEST TO POST-TEST. WHILE ATTITUDES ABOUT INCOME ARE NECESSARY BUT NOT SUFFICIENT TO BRING ABOUT ECONOMIC CHANGE IN WOMEN'S LIVES, THIS CHANGE IN PERCEPTION DENOTES PROGRESS TOWARDS BREAKING YOUNG WOMEN OUT OF THE CYCLE OF POVERTY IN WHICH THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT OR COMPROMISING DECISIONS IN ORDER TO MEET THEIR FINANCIAL NEEDS. YOUNG WOMEN ALSO ARE INTEGRATING THESE SKILLS INTO THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES OUTSIDE OF THEIR CIRCLES; 68% OF RESPONDENTS REPORT THEY ARE CONFIDENT IN HOW TO KEEP RECORDS OF THEIR SALES AND SUSTAIN THEIR SMALL BUSINESSES THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND LEARNINGS FROM THE CIRCLE. THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THEIR SKILLS IS CLEAR IN THEIR ACTIONS AS WELL; 102 YOUNG WOMEN HAVE TAKEN THEIR SHARE OF THEIR INCOME FROM THEIR CIRCLE BUSINESS AND HAVE INVESTED IT IN LAUNCHING THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT SMALL BUSINESS. THESE ARE 102 YOUNG WOMEN WHO WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY ENGAGED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP BUT WHO, THROUGH THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THEIR CIRCLE, HAVE GAINED THE SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, AND CAPITAL TO STRIKE OUT ON THEIR OWN.