How did you plan you solidarity leave?

I contacted the person in charge of solidarity leaves at the PPR Foundation in October. Once she had confirmed my registration, she put me in direct contact with "Coup de Pouce" in order to choose and plan my mission. The mission leader held two preparation meetings with the 11 volunteers to inform us of all details on formalities (visas, vaccinations, plane tickets), on Benin and on the mission.

What form did the mission take?

Our mission took place on an educational farm for sustainable agriculture. During two weeks, we built an extension for rabbit breeding, dug a fish-farming pond and started a patch of tomato and pepper cultivation. Our daily programme involved roofing, woodworking, excavating, clearing, planting and watering… with 4,000 litres of water drawn from the well every day!

How did you get along with the people in the field?

On the construction site, ten workers supervised us and passed on their know-how, and three volunteer students spent part of their holiday helping us out. In Africa, there are songs for every occasion… The workers taught us one, and we would all start singing it in unison to give ourselves strength and express our joy of working together.

We shared the everyday life of the Beninese: lunches, naps in the shade of mango trees and dinners with our host families were opportunities for exchanges on our respective ways of life, on politics… These encounters were really rewarding

What advice would you give to someone who wishes to go on a solidarity leave with "Coup de Pouce"?

Above all, what counts is the willingness to give and share. To leave on a mission with "Coup de Pouce", you need to be in good physical shape and ready to live in a community for two weeks: friendliness replaces the usual comfort…