CARE in Benin

The CARE office in the Gulf of Guinea covers Benin, Ghana and Togo and was opened in 1995.

In Benin we:
  • improve health care
  • fight HIV and AIDS
  • improve access to quality education
  • support small businesses, for example by giving them access to cheap loans

Almost 30 per cent of Benin’s population lives below the national poverty line. Only one-third of the population knows how to read and write.

CARE in action:

Earning a decent living
We have long-term projects that help poor families to improve their income. For example, CARE is helping poor rural communities in Benin to improve their long-term income by supporting rural credit and savings associations, known as village banks.
When poor families have access to savings and cheap loans, they are able to plan for the future and borrow money to make small investments, such as buying seeds, livestock or farming equipment, which will increase their future earnings.

Fighting HIV and AIDS
We are increasing awareness of HIV among traders and drivers who travel along the corridor road from Abidjan to Lagos in West Africa. The goal of the project is to reduce the spread of HIV among traders, drivers and their families, who are at high risk of contracting the virus.

Choose a country:
Benin