Even today, I still remember a childhood conversation with one of my sisters and my brother about dreams and the future. My sister dreamed of a career in medicine to save lives, while my brother dreamed of joining the military to bring order and peace to the world. When it was my turn, I didn’t know what to answer. It’s hard to notice living in the city, but when I discovered the realities that underprivileged communities in Benin were going through, including forced and early marriages, infanticides, and child trafficking, I knew I had to act. I wanted to make all of my knowledge and skills that I have had the privilege of learning available to everyone. But I still had no idea how I was going to contribute to a better world.
Eventually, I started working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we received activity reports from NGOs. These detailed accounts told us how the NGOs were impacting the lives of people from disadvantaged backgrounds. I was seduced by their work and commitment, so I decided to put my knowledge and my experiences to use. I left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and began my volunteer journey with national NGOs working on children’s rights.
In the first NGO I joined, I worked to help street children plan their lives. In another, I worked with child victims of transnational trafficking, children deprived of their liberty in prisons, and children who were abused. Each child I met transformed me as a person. No situation is the same, but I can tell you one of their stories.
The story is of a boy who was barely 13. He lived with his grandmother, who unfortunately did not have the resources to allow him to continue school or even adequately provide for him. This kid heard from the young people in the neighborhood that it was easy to find odd jobs in Nigeria, so he organized his departure with the other children. Once in Nigeria, he and the other children realized that there was no paid work— they were left to different families or traders to serve as servants or small vendors. After two years in Nigeria, he fled his employer because of the mistreatment he suffered daily, including sleeping on an empty stomach, getting banged up every day, and working long hours in shops and markets to resell products. He ended up on the streets.
One day while he was begging in the street, he was arrested by the Nigerian police. After the boy said he was from Benin, the officers referred him to our project. So, I organized his return with the police.
I met him at the Benin-Nigeria border and we returned to our homeland together. Our first difficulty was finding his family since much had changed in two years, including the landscape and roads, so he no longer remembered the path home. This search lasted almost two weeks, but thanks to the community’s support, we were able to find his grandmother. When we told her we found her grandson, her smile and gratitude filled us with happiness. We spoke with the child to determine what he wanted to do now that he was back home, and his wish was to resume his studies. So, we drafted a plan to help him pay for school while also helping his grandmother establish a small business that would allow her to meet her grandson’s needs.
Every minute that I spent with this child allowed me to realize the immense work that NGOs do and that everyone can—and should— contribute. After him, I met many other children in migration situations, forced marriage, and even deprived of their liberty in conflicts with the law. I am doing all I can to help each and every one of these children. The work of NGOs is possible through the hundreds of young people who decided to change the world for the better. I’m convinced that young people in Africa and around the world, with our unique abilities and vibrant energy, will propel humanity’s movement toward a new future. Our responsibility as young people is to be part of the solution by leading change and sustainable development.
My biggest dream is to wake up to a world without inequality, where all children are happy, fulfilled, not abused by adults, and have the chance to realize their dreams without fear. I am a young volunteer and proud to contribute to this new future.
PS. My sister is now a midwife, and my brother is a police officer.
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