A space to learn
Education depends on many things – the availability of teachers, educational materials and of course, safe spaces for lessons and studying. This last need has now been met for the students of Tanguiéta First Secondary School near Pendjari National Park, Benin with the handover in early March of a new two-storey building comprising six classrooms and a multipurpose space.
The ceremony in Tanguiéta saw representatives from African Parks officially hand over the new school building to local education authorities. The Préfect's Representative, the Mayor of Tanguiéta, the Departmental Director of Education, a representative of the West African Savannah Foundation (FSOA) and officials from the park all attended the ceremony.
Constructed at a cost of almost 31 million CFA francs, the new structure meets almost half the outstanding space requirements at the school.
Mr. Bawath Alassane, Director of Tanguiéta First Secondary School, expressed the gratitude of the whole school community: "This new, modern and functional gem will significantly improve student capacity, end-of-year results, and course quality, while also providing an environment conducive to pedagogical requirements," he commented.
The students and teachers who will benefit from this project were quick to acknowledge its significance and the role it will play in improving educational outcomes and future employment prospects.
Franck Kassa, student representative, emphasised that the building inspires learning and wished African Parks full success, while teacher Paul Gnarigo commented: "Thanks to this brand-new infrastructure and the furniture provided, as teachers, we will be able to fulfil our mission with greater motivation and efficiency."
The W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) Complex is a transboundary Natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger – comprising W and Pendjari national parks in Benin and Arly National Park in Burkina Faso, which stretches across parts of all three countries.
This exciting development at Tanguiéta is a tangible part of Pendjari National Park’s support plan for local communities. Education has been a particular focus since African Parks was granted a mandate to partner in managing the park in 2017.
This commitment has resulted in over 40 local public primary and secondary schools receiving support, with Parents' Associations mobilising to raise the funds needed to pay community teachers’ salaries.
African Parks has also built kitchens in more than 20 primary schools to ensure that learners can focus on their lessons rather than on being hungry. They have also helped to set up and run 18 school environmental clubs to inspire the next generation of community leaders to be advocates for nature and ambassadors for conservation ambassadors.
“This progress was made possible by African Parks, with financial support from the West African Savannah Foundation (FSOA) as part of their focus on supporting development projects in communities close to the national parks that make up the WAP Complex,” explained Hugues Akpona, African Parks' Regional Operations Manager for West Africa.