Background: Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged.
May 4th 2008Africa » Benin » West How to describe another world of new feelings, sights and smells, while sitting in an air conditioned room with a cold beer??
My world here is very different to home in New Zealand, but different i ... 31 photos[full story]
April 27th 2008Africa » Benin » South » Ouidah Woke up thinking it was 10:00 when it was actually 11:00 because of the time change. Weird to think there's a time change when Benin is only 90 miles from the Ghanian border. We headed off to the Py ... [full story]
April 26th 2008Africa » Benin » South » Cotonou Woke up and took a bucket shower which is really gross to do inside a bathroom. We waited aroudn our hotel for quite some time before we actually started our day to visit the stilt village in Ganvie. ... [full story]
April 8th 2008Africa » Benin » Mono » Athiémé I attended my third All-Volunteer conference with Peace Corps in Benin. We were in the big city for two and a half days of meetings. Peace Corps houses us for these wonderful three nights in a nice ho ... [full story]
April 8th 2008Africa » Benin » Mono » Athiémé With elections approaching I find myself much more often with Beninese friends who have satellite television. Via satellite I can follow the American presidential campaign. Fortunately I don’t h ... 5 photos[full story]
April 8th 2008Africa » Benin » Mono » Athiémé Athiémé celebrated International Women’s Day on the 8th of March at the secondary school’s playing fields. The basketball and handball teams, the two sports with girls’ included, had ... 4 photos[full story]
March 26th 2008Africa » Benin » Littoral » Cotonou It is hard to know the words to choose to begin describing this new adventure of my life, but I guess its just easiest to start at the beginning...
So my last week in Montpellier flew past, every ... 13 photos[full story]
March 25th 2008Africa » Benin » Kouffo I’m in my ninth month here in Benin, and I have to say that there are days when I wonder what I’m doing here still. I love Benin, but it’s not easy being who I am and living here. I ... 1 photos[full story]
February 2nd 2008Africa » Benin » Kouffo I was asked this question, "How's Africa?" I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just rambled a bit...
Africa is a thousand books that have never been written, a thousand voices which have never been ... [full story]
January 17th 2008Africa » Benin » Atlantique » Ouidah The border is just over an hour away from Chez Alice.We were given 48 hour visas at the border, lots of food vendors on both sides of the frontier.
We drove to Ouidah, stopped at the Immaculate Con ... 38 photos[full story]
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