Progresses from last January 2008

- In January 2008:  Progress of our project “Colors of Benin”.

To introduce this project, we went to the Gustave Flaubert school to meet children. Discussions with children were very rich and very interactive; children were very curious and exciting with this project. We also have to thank M. Gasparetto, their teacher, who helped and supported us a lot for this project. During this year, children will work on this project, working with African books. We also want to congratulate other teachers from other classes for having collaborated with us for our intervention in their schools. We also want to thank Mme Auger (Diderot school), Mme Constanza (Pitard school), M Couraudon (Anatole France school).

- In February 2008: Books for children to help the training ground project.

In order to find some financial supports for our training ground project in Cotonou, we have the idea to sell some African books for children that are initially sold by African editors. By this way, we guess you and your children to discover life in far areas and others continents, with these stories of daily life in African countries. Do not hesitate to contact us to get more details!

- In March 2008: Reward from the credit agricole bank.

Senami was invited by the credit agricole bank Tours Nord/St Cyr for their general annual meeting during which rewards were given to the best projects of association from Tours area. On 30 projects, 5 were selected and each of them presented their project during this meeting. Senami received the 2^nd reward (300 euros)

We thank the Tours Europe credit agricole agency and Mme Huguet (director of this agency) and her team for their help and their support and members of this meeting that voted for our project.

- In April 2008: Festival of Cit’es artistes, at the Jaques Villeret area, Tours.
Senami participated to this festival and exposed some arts picture in relief from Metonou, some original figurines and some African books for children

- In May 2008: First equitable exchange days (30^th and 31^st of May).

This event was a great opportunity to promote local artists.

- In May 2008: Terre Exotique (Kerex).

M Erwan De Kerros, manager of the Terre Exotique business, is used to import spices and fruits from Africa, notably pineapple from Benin and especially the variety “pain de sucre” (“bread of sugar”) that is found only in Benin. We are selling these pineapples for the benefit of Senami.

- In June 2008: Progress of our project “Colors of Benin” with schools Pitard (France) and Hibiscus (Cotonou). A published article in La Nouvelle Republique.

A great synergy has been created about our project. During the annual fest of the Stephane Pitard School, a collect of book was organized by the CE1/CE2 classe, teacher Mme Joelle Constanza. For delivery of the books to our association, Joelle took the initiative t invite a journalist from La Nouvelle Republique. Then an article has been published in La Nouvelle Republique at the beginning of july.

Toussaint Gnanvi, the president of Senami association, and our devoted organizer Patrick Coffi were there for this special event, the official delivery of books.

Here is the link of the Pitard school to better follow the progresses of the project and discover some pictures of this event:
http://ec-stephane-pitard-tours.tice.ac-orleans-tours.fr/eva/article.php3?id_article=93
We had the idea of this book collect to create a library in different school of Cotonou. Then, we would like to encourage young Beniseses to read by a easier access to books. All of us know that culture is essential to open minds and create curiosity.

- In June 2008: Many thanks.

We would like to thanks people that help and support us, and particularly: Maurice Lauret who is our first member and donor, Mme Genvieve Gandy who manages with the mediatheque of La Riche and gave us so many advices, Technicophone, our 2^nd member, Jean-Luc Dutreix, Martial Coffi and his wife, Mme Huguet (director of the Tours Nord Credit agricole agency) and her daughter , Jérôme Bechy (Imprimerie Moreau, La Membrolle), Mme and Melle Fournier.

- In June 2008: Event on equitable exchanges in the commercial center Monjoyeux (Tours).

We thank Patrick Bourreau (Aile et la Plume editions) for his support and his donation and Karine Zeinmer and her team for this event.

- In July 2008: We thank M Francis Thivault (seller of vegetables in Les Halles of Tours) who helped us to sell our pineapple that M De Kerros gave us to support us.

- In July 2008: New donation of benineses pineapples by Terre Exotique.

Thanks to Erwan De Kerros for a new donation of pineapples from Benin that we sold for the benefit of Senami.

- In August 2008: Special "Faut pas rêver" program about Benin on France 3 channel.

On the 22^nd of august 2008, “Faut pas rêver” program was devoted to Benin: a travel from the north to the south of Benin with different landscapes and cultural richness.