Despite violence, abandonment, and inequality, Feregou managed to escape an abusive husband through social and professional reintegration. The security situation in the Atacora and Alibori departments in northern Benin has become a breeding ground for worsening child rights violations, especially against girls. The rise in gender-based violence (GBV), child marriages, and family separations, worsened by the crisis in neighboring Sahel countries, makes the situation particularly alarming. Yet even amidst this chaos, some lives are being transformed—like that of Feregou, a 23-year-old young mother who reshaped her destiny.
Feregou lives in the commune of Kérou, located in the Atacora department in northwestern Benin. After attending school up to the 9th grade (troisième), her life changed dramatically when she became pregnant.
“After my pregnancy, my parents kicked me out and told me to go live with the man who got me pregnant,” Feregou recalls.
Once with the child’s father, she was met with indifference and at times violence.
“When I asked him for money to cook, he would refuse and sometimes beat me,” she remembers.
After the birth of her son, one of her aunts, deeply troubled by Feregou’s situation, tried to change her niece’s circumstances. She asked the father of the child to allow Feregou to pursue training, but he refused.
“Unwilling to let her niece sink into misery,” the aunt searched for solutions. One day, a radio broadcast announced that an NGO was offering training and reintegration opportunities for vulnerable teenage girls and young women.
“I went to the One-Stop Social Protection Center (GUPS) to register and I was selected,” Feregou says. She chose to train as a hairdresser. Her apprenticeship contract was covered for 80,000 FCFA, which allowed her to leave her husband’s home and move in with her aunt—a crucial support in this new chapter.
“The NGO paid for my apprenticeship contract, which allowed me to fully concentrate on my training,” she explains.
The project, titled “Community Mobilization for the Promotion of Girls’ and Women’s Rights, Gender, and Social Cohesion in the Atacora and Alibori Departments,” is supported by the Beninese government and Canada, with the aim of reducing gender inequalities in regions where girls are particularly vulnerable to violence and lack of opportunities.
The early days of her training were difficult. But gradually, she found her rhythm, thanks to the support of her fellow trainees and her mentor.
“My fellow hairdressers gave me advice and helped me,” she says gratefully. Support from both her aunt and her trainer gave her the strength to persevere.
“Thanks to them, I want to keep moving forward despite the challenges,” she affirms.
Today, Feregou dreams of completing her apprenticeship, earning her certification, and helping other young mothers who, like her, have faced vulnerable situations.
“I want to help other girls like me. And I also want to support my aunt financially, because without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she says.
Dadja Reine, Feregou’s assistant trainer, recalls their early days working together.
“Feregou is naturally shy and introverted, which made collaboration difficult at first,” she explains. But over time, Feregou began to open up.
“I talked to her and helped her understand that you have to be a bit more open to learn the trade,” says Dadja Reine, proud of her trainee’s progress.
“She has now been working with me for a year and a half, and I’ve seen a lot of improvement. I encourage her to get her diploma and to take care of her family and her child,” she adds.
Dadja Reine believes that Feregou’s story offers a valuable lesson:
“Her story taught us not to repeat the same mistakes she made.”
This initiative has not only transformed Feregou’s life but also enabled many other young women to rejoin society, find stable employment, and become financially autonomous. Thanks to the support of Canada, the Beninese government, and the implementation by the NGO EDUCO, 160 adolescent girls and young women have benefited from this opportunity.
Now more than ever, Feregou embodies hope and resilience.
“If this NGO hadn’t selected me for training, I don’t know where I would be today,” she concludes emotionally.