Testimony of Lorentus HOUEDOTE
My name is Lorentus HOUEDOTE.
I am President of the Association Éducative et Culturelle Asán Ogan and Coordinator of the Allada Youth Council.
In 2023, I had the opportunity to coordinate a project that is particularly close to my heart: the creation of a participatory mural in our commune of Allada, in Benin.
This initiative came about thanks to a collective impetus, but also thanks to the skills I was able to acquire through the Acte-Afrique project, supported by Action Education.
The various training courses I've taken part in have given me some very useful tools: I've learnt how to design a structured project with ease, how to run participative workshops, how to integrate the beneficiary-centred approach... in short, how to ensure that our actions are useful, inclusive and meaningful. Lorentus HOUEDOTE hand in hand with his peers, President of the Association Éducative et Culturelle Asán Ogán and Coordinator of the Conseil des Jeunes d'Allada, initiator of a participative mural in the commune of Allada, Benin, on active citizenship.
We brought together around twenty young people from Allada: students, apprentices and young artists. Together, for several days, we brainstormed, drew, learnt mural painting techniques... and then painted a colourful and symbolic fresco on the wall of the Centre des Jeunes et Loisirs d'Allada.
It features everything that makes up the identity of Allada: gastronomy, agriculture, biodiversity, historical figures... but also a call to citizenship. We see the fresco as an expression of active citizenship, with young people playing a full part in community life by getting involved in social initiatives. It's an approach that goes beyond simply belonging to a social group and implies genuine participation and commitment to the life of the city.
This fresco has become much more than just a backdrop: it is now a landmark in the town, an educational tool used by teachers and a tourist attraction that we include in our tours.
But what I remember most is the transformation of the young people involved. Some have discovered talents they didn't know they had. Others have gained in self-confidence, team spirit and autonomy. They have acquired artistic skills, but also cross-disciplinary skills: knowing how to work together, respecting deadlines, speaking out, taking the initiative... For many, this fresco has been the catalyst for a new vocation.
Today, I can proudly say that this project can be reproduced. We want to create other frescoes in other districts of Allada, using the same participatory approach. And I'm convinced that investing in the training of young people is a lever for lasting change.
That's what Acte-Afrique gave me. That's what we're trying to pass on to others, through every brush we paint, every wall we transform, every young person we promote.
