The growth of Saint François Coll School reflects the desire of many families in Bembèrèkè to provide their children with an education.
In northern Benin, many families travel long distances so their children can attend school. In this context, Saint François Coll School has become an educational reference for the community of Bembèrèkè. What began as a small initiative led by the Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata has grown into an expanding educational project that seeks to provide new opportunities for the children of the region.
But the story of this school does not begin with buildings or classrooms. It begins by listening to a community.
A Mission That Began by Listening to Women
The Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata arrived in Bembèrèkè in 1989, at the invitation of missionaries working in this region of northern Benin. From the very beginning, their priority was to understand the reality of the villages and to support people in addressing their most urgent needs.
During this initial contact with the community, the Sisters identified a major challenge: many women had few opportunities for education and participation in social life, despite playing a vital role in family and community life.
For this reason, the mission began with initiatives to empower women in the villages. For the Sisters, strengthening women also meant strengthening society as a whole. As they often say within the community, women are to society what roots are to a tree: the foundation that supports everything else.
This work of accompaniment gradually built trusting relationships with families. Over time, one need became increasingly clear: the desire to provide girls with an education that could open up new opportunities for their future.
The Birth of the School
Responding to this need led the community to take an important step. In 2017, Saint François Coll School was founded in a building donated by the missionary Abel Hevia.
The school began with only a few students, but it soon became a highly valued opportunity for families in Bembèrèkè and the surrounding villages. Year after year, the number of students increased, and the school continued to grow.
However, this growth also began to reveal new challenges.
When the Classrooms Become Too Small
As the years passed, more and more families wanted their children to study at the school. Many came from nearby villages where access to education remained limited.
However, the reality of the region showed that the need for education was still far greater. When Sister Béatrice arrived at the mission in 2021, she witnessed this firsthand during her visits to nearby villages.
“When I arrived, I was struck by the number of children in the villages who were not attending school.”
Meanwhile, at the school, the growing number of students made it necessary to continually adapt the available space. Some classrooms had to accommodate several grade levels at the same time, and there were no adequate facilities for basic services such as a cafeteria.
The community was then faced with an inevitable question: how could they expand their work to better respond to these needs.
A Project That Grows with the Community
The expansion of the educational complex is a direct response to this reality. It is not simply about constructing new buildings, but about responding to the aspirations of the many families who place their trust in the Sisters’ educational project.
The mission in Bembèrèkè began with a special commitment to the empowerment of women and the education of girls—a commitment that remains central to the work of Fundación Anunciata Solidaria. Across its projects, one of the key criteria is to ensure that at least half of all beneficiaries are girls or women.
At the same time, the experience of the school has revealed something highly significant: more and more families want all of their children—both girls and boys—to be able to study in a school guided by the Sisters.
This trust has driven the development of new facilities: the expansion of the preschool and primary school, the construction of a school cafeteria, and a boarding house for boys that will make it possible to welcome students from more distant villages.
Building Together with the Community
The decision to expand the school was the result of a shared process within the Sisters’ community. Together, they reflected on the situation, assessed the existing needs, and began exploring ways to make the project a reality.
This process also led to close collaboration with Fundación Anunciata Solidaria, which supported the feasibility study and the search for funding.
The project also has the support of EPSA, a company that had previously collaborated with the mission and has committed to supporting the development of the educational complex.
Although the Sisters are not construction specialists, they have closely followed every stage of the process.
“Knowing the reality of the community and the challenges faced by families motivated us to do things well,” explains Sister Béatrice. “That is why we sought out skilled professionals who could help us bring the project forward.”
Educating to Transform the Community
Education lies at the heart of the mission of the Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata. Their founder, Father Francisco Coll, saw education as a way to “dispel the darkness of ignorance” and transform people’s lives.
In Bembèrèkè, this vision is reflected in a holistic approach to education that seeks to form not only knowledgeable students, but also people capable of contributing to the development of their community.
In particular, the education of girls remains a fundamental pillar of the project.
“Education gives girls the tools to make decisions, participate in society, and stand up for their rights,” explains Sister Béatrice. “Over time, this helps build more just communities.”
Looking to the Future
Today, the Saint François Coll Educational Complex continues to grow with a clear purpose: to provide the children of Bembèrèkè with a place where they can learn in dignified conditions and develop their full potential.
The community envisions this project becoming a leading educational center for the region, inspired by Christian values and the educational charism of Saint Francis Coll. An education that has the power to transform lives.