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History
1985
  • Songhai is established. Fr. NZAMUJO, o.p, launches the project with a team of six teenage dropouts on one hectare of land in Ouando, a suburb of Porto-Novo.
    October 5: Official inauguration of the Songhai project by the Minister for Rural Development and Cooperative Action.
1986
  • 28 student farmers are enrolled at Songhai for training in agro-biology; extension of the site enlarges it by 10 ha.
1987
  • Retail distribution of products begins. A vending outlet is opened on the site in Porto-Novo.
  • First financial support from ADF (African Development Foundation - USA) for fish farming, pig farming and motorized cultivation.
1988
  • The farm becomes more structured.
  • Debut of customized training (courses and a few other activities for villagers)
1989
  • In July, the 18-month on-site training and 6 months/1 year on-farm experience in Porto-Novo is determined. The practice of selecting 10 to 15 young people per semester is established.
  • Creation of the Songhai center in Tchi, a rural area, on 25 ha. The production system is adapted to the village setting. Ox-driven plowing is implemented as well as the beginning of large animal farming (cattle, goats, etc), fish farming, and rice planting.
  • Publication of the first videocassettes on the integrated system of farming practiced by Songhai.
1990
  • Organization of a Colloquium at the insistence of the CCFD (Catholic Commission against Hunger and for Development) and in collaboration with Songhai, bringing together 35 NGOs from the South, and all CCFD partners and involved in local development.
  • Birth of the newsletter "L'Aigle de Songhai" (The Songhai Eagle)
  • Creation of the Songhai Village on an area of 1.25 ha. (prototype of a family farm).
  • First financial support from the Parish of Froissy - St. Andre in the Oise region of France; this support continues today.
  • Creation of a training center at Tchi Ahomadégbé, funded by the European Development Fund (EDF).
1991
  • Opening of the shop "Aliments Sains" (Health Foods) in Cotonou selling products from the Songhai farm.
1992
  • The delicatessen opens in Ouando.
  • Collaboration with Beninois organizations begins with a goal of sharing experiences in the areas of training, technology, human resources, and agricultural production.
  • First visit of the President of the Republic of Benin, Nicephore Soglo.
  • Creation in Brittany (France) of the association Solidarité Songhai and of the association of Louvenciennes Africa and Development in the Parisian region.
1993
  • Establishment of a "maquis", an African restaurant, to cater to visitors
  • Establishment of a mechanical workshop (maintenance / repairs)
  • Conference on Technologies Appropriate to Basic Development, jointly organized with ADF (African Development Foundation) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development).
  • Beginning of the KINWEDJI project, Songhai's contribution to the development of a village community.
  • Creation in Lyon of Songhai - France and Songhai - Chasselay, in the suburbs of Lyon.
  • Confirmation of the 7th African Leadership Prize 93 on Fr. Nzamujo, O.P. by the Hunger Project; presentation of the trophy in October in Tokyo, Japan. Support groups begin in Japan.
1994
  • Construction of an abattoir and a delicatessen workshop
  • Construction of a feed mill and a house for the hens laying eggs.
  • Achievements in Kinwedji Village due to the establishment of the Hwenusu group "L'Heure a Sonné" (The time has come).
  • Founding of the FORMAP base (Formation et Animation Paysanne - Peasant Training and Facilitation) in Lokossa, Mono region (south-western Benin).
  • Launching of interactive activities in the villages.
  • Commissionning of a team from Songhai to Ilaro, Nigeria, to take over a farm with great potential for high productivity.
  • Emergence of the collaboration with village groups (men and women) around Tchi, involved in rice planting.
  • Numerous trips to Africa and Asia, following the Leadership Prize.
  • Publication of the first teaching materials.
1995
  • Opening of a sales outlet in Lokossa.
  • Steps towards establishing a cooperative for supplying raw materials to peasant farmers and the village communities.
  • Launching of the farmers' network, with the setting up of a follow-up team on the farm.
  • Beginning of collaboration with the Accor Hotellerie group and with the Lycée Paraclet in Quimper (France)
  • Training of 17 teenage dropouts (11 boys and 6 girls) for one year through a USAID initiative.
  • Arrival of 6 Rwandan families (26 persons), supported by the IWACU group.
1996
  • Plans for the extension of the Songhai project to the Zou and Borgu regions, on the initiative of the government of the Republic of Benin and of Songhai Center, and with the support of USAID. Signature of the agreement on the September 13th, 1996.
  • Launching of the activity "Collect pour les jeunes installés" (Collection for young farmers) to support the installation of young farmers trained by Songhai.
  • First annual meeting of farmers
1997
  • Creation of 2 new centers: Savalou, (Zou region) and Parakou (Borgu region)
  • Extension of the activities of the industrial workshop to include the construction of agricultural machines.
  • Construction of a new workshop for the processing of agricultural products.
  • Installation of the temporary office of the HUNGER PROJECT - BENIN at the Ouando Center.
  • Creation of an Institute for the Training of Development Entrepreneurs (IFED) - for feasibility studies, project analyses, and internal officer training. This center is also open to outsiders.
  • Development of a center for Information and Documentation.
  • Study trip by six officers from Songhai to India for training in processing and agricultural mechanization.
  • Second annual meeting of farmers, with the first agricultural fair. Development of a women's wing, with specific modules in training / accompaniment by female facilitators.
  • First SID (Society for International Development) Colloquium on the theme "Development process: experiences to share, orientations to determine".
  • Commencement of the partnership with CODEV-TOULOUSE within the framework of skill transfer in electricity.
1998
  • Construction begins at the two new centers at Savalou (Zou region) and Parakou (Borgu region).
  • Basic renovation of the 3-level training program, with more structured and competitive modules.
  • Construction of a refugee center in collaboration with UNHCR at Kpomassè (Atlantic region).
  • Construction of a new housing unit.
  • Installation of a high-performance accounting system.
  • Changeover of the Songhai name to Centre Coopératif Songhai Bénin (CCSB).
  • Establishment of a supply department.
  • Global restructuring of Songhai allocating more responsibility to each worker. Permanent staff increases from 50 to 100.
  • Third annual meeting of farmers: 150 farmers, agricultural fair, and prize distribution.
  • Collaboration with Hilary Farm in Ibadan on fish farming; debut of artificial reproduction of catfish.
1999
  • Construction of a handcraft workshop to improve the training of young people.
  • Creation of public telecenters (internet café, phone booth, fax machine, etc.) in Porto Novo, Savalou, and Parakou in collaboration with AED / Learnlink (Academy for Educational Development)
  • Installation of 3 radio communication antennas for the exchange of telephone calls, fax, files and electronic mail between the 3 Songhai centers.
  • Organization of the first West African Sub-regional workshop on Zero Emissions or total productivity, with the support of the UNDP.
  • Organization of a national colloquium on Food Security, with the support of the Society for International Development (SID).
  • Growth in staff size from 100 to 150, due to the increasing work on the new sites and other activities supporting the Songhai movement.
  • End of the work at Ilaro.
  • 4th annual meeting of farmers.
2000
  • Inauguration of the Savalou and Parakou Centers by the Beninois Ministers for Rural Development, Town Planning and Housing, and National Education.
  • 5th annual meeting of Songhai farmers
  • Restructuring of the Kinwedji farm to allow farmers without lands to farm temporarily while waiting to acquire their own land.
  • Development of processing agricultural products with equipment imported from India.
2001
  • Extension of Songhai to Nigeria, in Amukpe, Delta State. Signature of the contract of collaboration between Songhai and the Government of Delta State.
  • Visit by the Governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Obori to Songhai.
  • Inauguration of a female dormitory financed by the Catholic association, Accion Verapaz of Spain, and by Her Excellency the Ambassador of the United States of America to Benin, Pamela Bridgewater.
  • Execution of the training program for women in the PAEFO project (Promotiom des Activités Economiques des Femmes dans le Département de l'Ouémé - Promotion of the Economic Activities of Women in the Oueme region).
  • Launch of battery cage technique for raising laying hens.
  • Fusion of the PPC and RIR sections into one section named "Chickens Complex". Introduction of new breeds, such as Sussex and Kabir.
  • Construction of a new crafts workshop in the Songhai village.
  • Construction of a new research and experimentation laboratory.
2002
  • Installation of satellite connection.
  • Visit by participants at TICAD 2002 to Songhai.
  • Commencement of the information and communication network project for sustainable agriculture in West Africa, in collaboration with IDRC.
  • Inauguration of development infrastructures at Songhai: rice processing unit, cashew processing unit, vegetable oil (soy bean) extraction and oilcake production unit, foundry, and solar drier.
  • Inauguration of the application site in Kinwedji, named the "Harry LIGHTFOOT Mono Ranch Center for Extension and Agricultural Entrepreneurship".
  • Visit by His Lordship, Cardinal AGRE, Bishop of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
  • Publication of Fr. Godfrey Nzamujo's book, "Songhai: quand l'Afrique relève la tête" (Songhai: when Africa lifts up its head) by the Editions du Cerf. Preface by Xavier Lamblin, Chairman of the Catholic Commission against Hunger and for Development (CCFD).
2003
  • Familiarization visit by diplomats in Benin.
  • Inauguration of Songhai Delta Amukpe in Delta State, Nigeria.
 

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