Case Study

The civil unrest of the late 1980s left the country of Benin financially devastated. With the government unable to pay civil servants to take care of public services, sanitation and waste management turned into a grave problem for the country and its people. Garage was dumped in the streets where people walked, children played and where business was conducted. Not only was it unsightly, it also presented a major threat to health. Diseases such as malaria, gastroenteritis, and bronchial pneumonia became increasingly prominent.

These numerous health threats led to the creation of a health clinic called Bethesda. At the time, it primarily served the needs of the people living in Contonou. As the doctors in the clinic treated the patients, they saw a high recurrence of causes related to sanitation waste. Recognising the need to tackle the root causes of these health problems, Raphël Edou, Bethesda’s Executive Director, gathered community and government leaders to discuss how the garbage could be cleared. With unemployment high among young adults and a growing problem of uncollected garbage, Raphël connected the two to create new jobs as well as clean the streets.

Since 1993, Bethesda has collected garbage in Contonu and generated millions in revenue, which pays for the hospital’s operating costs. After starting this initiative, Bethesda later focused on sanitation and nutrition interventions to further reduce the number of health-related cases. Despite the waste management program and the workshops, Raphël, noted that “if people can not afford to eat, it doesn’t matter how much information you give them”. With this realisation, the organisation then started a microfinance initiative.

The health clinic which initially began in 1990 has grown to serve over 100,000 patients, garnering recognition from the governments of Japan and Dubai for their innovative efforts to clean the streets of Benin.

Microcredit for Impoverished Beninese Mothers

To support Bethesda’s microfinance initiative and health awareness, Legatum gave US$37,000 for women to access microloans and start their own businesses while attending workshops on health and proper sanitation.

Leadership

Over the past 15 years, Raphël has transformed Bethesda from a small health clinic to an influential community organisation. International leaders from Dubai and Japan have also publicly recognised its contributions.