Ganhi: a citizen school-supplies drive helps 500 pupils ahead of the new term

A citizen-led school-supplies drive held this weekend in Ganhi collected notebooks, pens and bags for about 500 pupils from families in difficulty, days before the school year starts. The effort, run by a group of residents and traders, was held in front of Cotonou's town hall.

Launched three years ago on a small scale, the drive grew significantly this year thanks to the mobilisation of several businesses in the administrative district, which offered drop-off points in their shops for two weeks. Organisers say the number of kits distributed has roughly doubled compared with last year.

Beneficiary families, pre-selected with support from local primary-school administrations, came to collect their kits on Saturday and Sunday. Several parents welcomed the initiative, citing the rising cost of school supplies this term. Organisers already say they want to extend the drive to other Cotonou neighbourhoods next year.

What the creator verified this weekend: kits effectively distributed to around a hundred families on Saturday afternoon, and collectors present outside the town hall. What remains to be confirmed: the final exact number of kits distributed, still being counted by organisers.