At the BIG 2025 fair, this year's theme was "The Truth," Seneweb listened to the inspiring presentation by Angélique Kidjo, the Beninese voice who transcends borders and generations. The singer and activist passionately shared the experience of her Batonga Foundation, which has been working since 2006 to educate and empower young girls in Africa. Her speech captivated the audience with its sincerity and the power of its concrete examples, illustrating how education, entrepreneurship, and community engagement can transform lives.

Education as a lever for transformation

From the very first minutes, Angélique Kidjo recalled the genesis of her foundation: "I was told: 'Angélique, it's in secondary schools that changes happen.' I don't want to know another little girl married at the age of 12." She explained how she launched Batonga in five African countries: "Benin, Mali, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Togo. We built schools in villages, where no one was looking, because that's where change can really happen."

The activist stressed the need to support girls in all aspects of their lives: "I put girls in school by paying for tuition, uniforms, books, mentoring, and one meal a day. I didn't want parents to have to spend money on their lives."

She clarified that her action aims above all to offer them autonomy and self-confidence: "Intelligence does not have the civil servant and I wanted to go where you can make your change."

A data-driven and participatory approach

In 2016, the founder of Batonga decided to focus on Benin and better understand the causes of secondary school dropouts. “There are many reasons, but what emerged from this data work was that girls needed a place to stimulate each other. That's how we created the girls' club, which has now become the business club.”

She described the girls' first entrepreneurial project: "The first business the girls wanted to do when they were given money was to create knowledge. We talk about hygiene, health, and self-confidence begins with how we present ourselves and build ourselves."

Today, some of them have even set up a production unit: "The girls in Benin have built a factory where they make tomato paste for children suffering from severe malnutrition. This is their production and their commitment, despite the cessation of aid from certain partners like USAID."

Commitment to Senegal

The Beninese voice also spoke about her work in Senegal: "Two years ago, I decided to go to Senegal. With the help of the Mastercard Foundation, I was able to work in the south of the country. Today, these girls are helping their community. During the pandemic, they donated soap, they took over all the radio stations, and in all languages, they informed the inhabitants of what needed to be done."

She emphasized her participatory method: "When I meet the girls, I don't impose anything on them. They tell me what they need and I raise funds to empower them."

Inclusion of boys and systemic vision

Angélique Kidjo explained that empowering girls must be accompanied by working with young men: "If we don't invest as much in young men as we do in girls, we lose everything we invest in them. They won't be able to succeed in the long term. They won't be able to be entrepreneurs because they live with these children."

She detailed the financial structure put in place by the girls: "They created an emergency fund to help their community and an investment fund to reinvest in their business and give loans to other women."

This integrated approach is a first in Africa, according to her: “Batonga is the first foundation in Africa to do this kind of work.”

Joy as a driving force for transformation

In conclusion, the Beninese voice that inspires generations delivered a universal and mobilizing message: "Joy is an act of resistance. Joy is a state of mind, and when we are joyful, we find solutions, we find partners with whom we can work to create a better world. We are capable. Let's do it."

She reiterated the crucial importance of education and empowerment for the continent's development: "Africa is the continent of the future. Women, like men, must be educated to escape poverty."