| Association régie par la loi 1901-Reconnue d'intérêt Général en mars 2006 |
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Who are we?
The history of the association began in July 2003.
Jacqueline GUIBERT, after retiring from a professional career, was looking for a way to continue being useful. She now had the free-time to fulfil an old dream: to do voluntary work in an underdeveloped country.
How to do it?
She sent her C.V. to a
national association in France ; AGIR
abcd :
( Association
Générale
des Intervenants
Retraités,
Aide
Bénévole
pour la Coopération
et le Développement.)
(General
Association of Retired Participants, Voluntary Assistance for
Cooperation and Development)
Facing reality :
Jacqueline was not prepared for the poverty, destitution and the death of the children she encountered there. She tells the story in her book
« mon coeur resté à Péréré » ( I left my heart in Péréré ).
After 2½ months in her task, Paul her husband went out to fetch her, and after spending only 12 days in Benin, he understood the difficulties Jacqueline had encountered.
Back in France :
The job done, Jacqueline didn’t think she would see the country again, but one does not come back unscathed.
It was impossible to do nothing for the country, for Péréré, for the orphanage.
Passing on one’s knowledge to those who have not had the chance to study is a good way to feel one is being useful, isn’t it? But the conditions were difficult and the equipment very basic. However 2½ months were sufficient to train the technician Jonas. | 
The orphans return to their families when they are 2 years old. Here, the twins are reunited with their father who offers the nun a cock in thanks! | 
In 2008,
the project to grow spiruline starts. |
The children love to gather around us, especially to have their photo taken, but they don’t all speak French, even though they go to school! | 
When we visit the schools, we are an attraction, because, apart from the nuns, there are few "batourés" (whites). |  After
a few days the children are no longer shy and cuddle up to us. |
The construction of the tanks for the spiruline was Paul’s job, and he was helped by local employees. | 
The chemical formulae for the spiruline growth-medium are attentively studied. | 
Thanks to the 2 tanks, which have been in operation since February 2008, 60 children can benefit from the beneficial effects of spiruline. |
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