La Maison des Espoirs

In the village of Kpodovi, in Pahou, a district of Ouidah, many children grow up in a context marked by a lack of essential services. There are no public schools, no health centers, and no running water. Families live primarily from agriculture, trade, and small craft businesses, making it difficult for their youngest children to access education, healthcare, and protection.

It is in this context that the House of Hope was created, a long-term care center for children aged 5 to 12 facing serious socio-economic difficulties or who have lost one or both parents. It is a safe, educational, and stimulating place where they can find stability, build relationships, and thrive, with full respect for their fundamental rights.

The House of Hope is not just a place to live, but an environment where every aspect of daily life contributes to holistic development. The children there benefit from accommodation, appropriate food and healthcare, as well as continuous support to help them regain their habits, autonomy and self-confidence.

Education is one of the pillars of the project. Throughout their schooling, children receive academic support, homework help, and the necessary materials. This consistent support improves their academic performance and allows them to learn with peace of mind.

In addition to the educational aspect, great importance is placed on emotional and psychological well-being. Through individual and group support, as well as recreational, cultural, and creative activities, children have the opportunity to express their experiences, strengthen their interpersonal relationships, and develop their social skills in a warm and caring environment.

Another key element is preparing them for independence. At the Maison des Espoirs (House of Hope), children learn to take care of themselves, the common areas, and small daily responsibilities. At the same time, visits with their birth or foster families are organized whenever possible, as part of a process of family and social reintegration, always with the support of professionals.

Ultimately, the project aims to tangibly improve the living conditions of 20 vulnerable children by promoting their academic success, strengthening their emotional resilience, and guiding them toward independent and informed development. The House of Hope also works with the local community, raising awareness of the importance of child protection and children's rights.

Above all, the House of Hope is a place where children have the opportunity to grow up in safety, learn, and imagine a different future. A concrete opportunity to rebuild confidence, day after day.

«A place where children regain the chance to grow up safely, to learn and to imagine a different future.»

This project is co-financed by the Prosolidar Foundation. The Prosolidar Foundation's philanthropic entity (ETS) is an organization created within the credit sector to implement solidarity-based and socially relevant projects in Italy and abroad, promoting social justice, inclusion, and sustainable development.

It brings together all the unions representing workers in the sector (through their national secretariats), as well as, on the employers' side, the Italian Banking Association and all the companies that are members of the Association. This is the first and, to date, the only experience, even at the international level, of an organization created by the parties within the framework of a national collective bargaining agreement and financed through "matched donations," that is, the equal sharing of contributions between workers and companies. www.fondazioneprosolidar.org