It's my birthday today! Instead of gifts, please consider sponsoring a student at Nestor's school in Benin, West Africa!

I'm a teacher so I'm loathe to say that back to school time is just around the corner. For that reason it's time to ask you again to support Nestor's school. This is the third year I've done this summer fundraiser to support specific students at his school who are not able to pay their school fees due to finacial hardship. Know that your contribution will go directly to those students. You will make a huge differnence in the life of a student, no matter how much you contribute.

I met Nestor when he was only 12 in 1995 when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer. I'm proud to say that I helped him through high school and university. That investment has paid off because he started his own school and is now the principal!

$110 is all that's needed to cover one student's costs for the coming school year! Last year many people sponsored students. If you sponsored last year it would be wonderful if you could sponsor the same student again this year. If you forgot the name of the student that you sponsored, you can see it here from last year's GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-la-grace-schools-bright-future. After you make a donation, please tell me which student you would like to sponsor (see below) when you make your donation by leaving a comment on the donation page.

About Nestor: Nestor received his bachelor's degree and later tried to find a permanent job as a teacher. No permanent jobs were available at the time so he took it upon himself to create his own school in a small village called Ayou near Allada. He opened it 7 years ago (in 2018) and every year it has grown and has been very successful. In September he will have 322 students. He reported that 100% of his students passed the national tests from last month. He has also increased enrollment each year proving that students are learning and the school is well managed. Nestor's school is private and secular. It's important to the village of Ayou because the public schools are far away, have very large class sizes, are underfunded and mismanaged.

Nestor has many students in need. Your donation will allow students who have attended his school in the past but have not been able to pay and may not be allowed to continue to attend since the school's resources are very limited. Please consider sponsoring a student in any amount or choose to sponsor a student for the year for any of the below expense categories. See the very bottom for comments to see who has already been sponsored. Please put in the comments section which student you are sponsoring and which expense categories you would like to fund.

Merci!

Expenses for each student who cannot afford to pay:

Realize that the average salary is $2 a day or about $42 a month so tuition alone is more than one month's pay! A lot of men are subsistence farmers and their income is dependent on access to land and weather conditions. Many of the mothers resell items in the markets and make very slim profit margins.

Yearly tuition - $50

School supplies - $10

Uniform- $8

School field trip- $9

Breakfast and lunch: 20 cents a day or $33 for the entire school year.

Total school fees for one student for the whole year- $110

From Nestor DJOSSOU: I am the founder of the La Grace school, a school which has been established in Allada Ayou since 2018. We started with primary education and today we also have secondary education. We have the majority of students whose financial situation does not allow them to attend a private school but thanks to your sponsorship we are able to support their school costs. We will have 322 students next school year. We had good results in this year's CEP exams with a 100% success rate.

Here are the students and a quick bio of each (grades are out of 10):

1-Ulrich YENASEA is doing well and his class performance is good this year. He is more attentive this year. It is a great joy for all of us that he goes to the primary class CM1 with an average of 7.30. He will take his first national exam in two years. He is 12 years old.

2-Éloïse WANGNANNON She is regular at school, her work is better. She thanks her donors very much. She obtained an average of 7.45 out of 10. She took her CEP exam next year. She is 12 years old.

3- Epainette WANGNANNON He has done better this year than in other years. He has just obtained his first CEP diploma which gives him entry into the 6th grade. He is 13 years old.

4-Thabou ADJAHO He is doing well and his work has improved. He is going to CM2 with 6.78 out of 10. He will take his first CEP exam next year. He is 12 years old. (2nd from the front)

5-Comariath ADJAHO She has just succeeded in her first CEP exam and will start the college next year. She is 12 years old.

6-Nadjath ADJAHO Her performance is good, she obtained 13.44 out of 20 and went to 8th grade. He is 12 years old.

7- Carlos GOUADRE His performance is good now, he obtained 6.76 on and went to 5th grade. He is 11 years old.

8-Belvida HOUBO It is thanks to you that she obtained her CEP diploma this year she will start the middle school next year. She is 12 years old.

9-Anathanie Bignon HOUBO - Her work is fine, she obtained 6.67 out of 10 and went to first grade. He is 6 years old.

10- Chancelle HOUNNOU Her work is fine she obtained 7.33 out of 10 and went to 5th grade. He is 11 years old.

11- Agnès SAGBO She is doing well, she likes school now. Her work is better, she has 6.90 out of 10 and goes to 3rd grade.

12- Plucilia HOUNOU She is fine, her level of study has changed a lot that she likes the job she received 6.67 out of 10 and goes to 4th grade. He is 11 years old.

13-Irène NONMAN She is well, her work is better, she finds herself a little in her work, she has 7.87 out of 10 and goes to 4th grade. He is 9 years old.

14- Miracle FOLLY He is doing well now, he was a little sick this year, but he obtained 5.56 out of 10 and went to 1st grade. He is 8 years old.

15- Exaucé TOBONON is fine and his 2nd grade. He is 10 years old.

16- Prince Pedro BOCO He is fine and his work at school progresses well, he totaled 5,48 out of 10 and passes to CE2. He is 10 years old.

17- Morel Kpongue, He is fine and his work is very satisfactory, he marked an average of 7.61 out of 10 and went to first grade. He is 10 years old.

18- Urielle AGBENON He is fine and his work at school progresses well, he totaled 6,51 out of 10 and passes to first grade. He is 9 years old.

19-Urielle ADJOVI She is thanks to you that she obtained her CEP diploma this year she will start middle school next year. He is 13 years old.

20- Exaucer ATCHECHEOU she is doing well now, she obtained 6.86 out of 10 and went to 5th grade. She will take her first CEP exam next year. She is 11 years old.

21-Isaïe SAVI He is doing well, he totaled 6.56 out of 10 and went to CE2. He is 10 years old.

22 Eunice BOSSOU Her performance is good, she obtained 13.74 out of 20 and went to 5th in college. He is 12 ans years old.

23- Belvina HOUBO It is thanks to you that she obtained her CEP diploma this year she will start the middle school next year. She is 12 years old.

24- Azizath ADJAHO He is fine and his work at school progresses well, he totaled 7,58 out of 10 and passes to 4th grade. He is 10 years old.

25 -Romeo Dohouin He is doing well and his work improves he goes to C5th grade with 6.88 out of 10. He passes his first CEP exam next year. He is 13 years old.

26- Rebecca GBOHOUME For lack of health she could not finish the school year. She went to her dad's villag and she will return next school year. She is 14 years old.

27- Olive AIVI she is fine and her work at school progresses well, she totaled 7,58 out of 10 and passes to 4th grade. She is 10 years old.