Pro Benin e.V.

About us

The non profit making organisation “Pro Benin” was founded in 1990 by people who had once worked for the DED (German Development Service), with the aim of supporting their friends and ex-colleagues within the framework of the liberalisation of Benin.

The guiding principle is to encourage self-help among the rural population and to stabilise nature conservancy.

Chosen means of facilitation:

• Furtherance of adapted technology e.g. 21 motorised manioc graters for women's groups; 3 palm kernel crackers; 6 German oil presses; 4 Chinese and 2 Beninese oil presses in operation; roasting of soya in wood-saving ovens.
• Rural services cooperative: reactivating the project experience of 1965-75; introduction of the processing of soya beans into “sauce pellets” as a protein rich foodstuff (goussi); improved processing of palm kernels, with 105 members of the cooperative “Soyo”.
• Tree planting: training and start-up aid for private tree nurseries; planting premiums for village planting groups; “each child plants a tree” scheme in schools.
• Cooperative processing: processing 230t of soya beans in two establishments producing 85t kitchen-ready, protein-rich food; 25 t protein component for chicken feed – sales of 106,000€ in the year 2008/2009.
• Expenditure and summary of results: approx. 275,000 € has been raised and transferred to Benin since the founding of the organisation. This went to the development of a highly productive cooperative plant whose sales have gradually risen to over 100,000 € per annum; establishing, equipping and running eight tree nurseries where 517,000 trees, half of them fruit trees, have been planted by village groups; tree planting instruction for children in 15 village primary schools.
• The cultivation and proliferation of the plant artemisia annua as an anti-malaria medicine is being tested.

Wolfgang Welle is the first Chairman of Pro Benin.

On request we can offer other net participants advice, and provide up to date information and contacts in the field of our work.