BATONGA FOUNDATION
1875 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW 10TH FL, WASHINGTON, DC 20009 www.batongafoundation.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: AT THE BATONGA FOUNDATION (BATONGA), WE ARE HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF THE MOST MARGINALIZED FEMALE YOUTH, AND ARMING ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH THE LIFE AND EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TO TRANSFORM THEIR ECONOMIC POTENTIAL INTO ECONOMIC POWER.

WE EQUIP YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS IN BENIN WITH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO BE AGENTS OF CHANGE. THROUGH LEADERSHIP CLUBS FOR GIRLS, ADOLESCENT GIRLS GAIN CONFIDENCE AND FINANCIAL LITERACY SKILLS. THROUGH OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING CENTERS, WE ENSURE YOUNG WOMEN HAVE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS THEY CAN USE TO LAUNCH INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIES AND FIND EMPLOYMENT. OUR NETWORK OF LOCAL MENTORS ENSURES THAT EACH GIRL RECEIVES THE SUPPORT AND CARE SHE NEEDS AS SHE TRANSITIONS INTO ADULTHOOD AND MAKES IMPORTANT LIFE DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT HER CAPACITY TO LIVE A FULFILLING AND SAFE LIFE.

BATONGA ENVISIONS A SAFER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE EQUITABLE WORLD IN WHICH ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS CAN THRIVE. BATONGA BELIEVES THAT IN ORDER TO REACH THE MOST VULNERABLE GIRLS, AN EVIDENCE-BASED AND INTENTIONAL APPROACH MUST BE USED TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NOT LEFT BEHIND.IN 2019, BATONGA CONTINUED ITS WORK WITH BENIN'S MOST VULNERABLE ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN, TO BUILD THEIR SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE ASSETS THROUGH A COMBINATION OF LIFE-SKILLS, TECHNICAL SKILLS, MENTORSHIP AND PERSONALIZED SUPPORT DELIVERED THROUGH ITS SONAFA LEADERSHIP CLUBS. BATONGA ALSO WORKED TO USE DATA, INFORMATION, AND GIRL-CENTERED INTENTIONAL DESIGN TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND INNOVATE THEIR PROGRAMS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MOST VULNERABLE ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN. BATONGA ALSO CONVENED AND CULTIVATED A THRIVING LEARNING CIRCLE NETWORK TO FACILITATE COLLABORATION, INFORMATION SHARING, AND ADVOCACY FOR DATA-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS THAT LEAD TO MORE EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS FOR OFF-TRACK ADOLESCENT GIRLS.IN 2019, THE THREE PRIMARY ACTIVITIES FOR BATONGA INCLUDED:1. INCREASING THE EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AS WELL AS SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF VULNERABLE ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN UNDERSERVED REGIONS OF BENIN THROUGH THE CONTINUED OPERATION AND EXPANSION OF BATONGA LEADERSHIP CLUBS.IN 2019, BATONGA ENGAGED AND EMPOWERED VULNERABLE ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN UNDERSERVED REGIONS OF BENIN THROUGH THE OPERATION OF LEADERSHIP CLUBS. IT RECRUITED AN ADDITIONAL 964 GIRLS, AGE 12-16-YEARS-OLD, TO 33 NEW SONAFA GROUPS ACROSS 15 VILLAGES. IN 2019, ATTENDANCE RATES FOR GIRLS 12-16-YEARS OLD AVERAGED AT JUST OVER 90%.THE BATONGA'S GIRLS CLUBS:- PROVIDE ACCESS TO WEEKLY GIRL-ONLY SAFE SPACES WHERE THEY GAIN A LOCAL FEMALE MENTOR'S SUPPORT, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SECURITY, FINANCIAL LITERACY AND LIFE SKILLS, AND A SENSE OF VALUE AND BELONGING;- BUILD PEER NETWORKS AND SOCIAL CAPITAL THAT WILL GIVE GIRLS AGENCY OVER THEIR OWN LIVES SO THEY ARE NEVER FORCED BY POVERTY AND CIRCUMSTANCE TO COMPROMISE THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO SURVIVE; AND- IMPROVE THE LIVELIHOODS, CONFIDENCE, AND WELLBEING OF GIRLS BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO ENGAGE IN INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES AND TO LEARN SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS.2. EXPANDING AND INNOVATING PROJECT DELIVERY AND METHODOLOGY TO BETTER SUPPORT AND MORE EFFECTIVELY IMPACT BENIN'S MOST VULNERABLE ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN.IN 2019, BATONGA CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS PROGRAMMING IN SUPPORT OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. IT LAUNCHED ITS FIRST TWO PROFESSIONAL TRAINING CENTERS, OFFERING CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN TAILORING AND HAIR-DRESSING TO A FIRST COHORT OF TWENTY GIRLS. ADDITIONALLY, IT SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF 150 SMALL GIRL-LED BUSINESSES THROUGH ITS CLUBS, MAINLY AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING BUSINESSES. THE GIRLS APPLIED THEIR FINANCIAL LITERACY AND SMALL BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE TO CHOOSE WHICH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS THEY WANTED TO INVEST IN. EXAMPLES OF THEIR NEW BUSINESSES INCLUDE PEANUT, YAM, AND CASSAVA PROCESSING.IN 2019, BATONGA ALSO CONTINUED ITS EXEMPLARY WOMEN SPEAKER SERIES TO SUPPLEMENT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AFFORDED TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANT GIRLS. THIS SPEAKER SERIES PROVIDES BATONGA'S GIRLS CLUBS WITH A VARIETY OF PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ROLE MODELS FOR THE GIRLS TO LEARN FROM AND CONNECT WITH. THESE ROLE MODELS COME FROM DIVERSE PROFESSIONS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: EDUCATION, COMMERCE, FINANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND HEALTH. THIS SPEAKER SERIES HAS RESULTED IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MORALE BUILDING PROGRAM FOR BATONGA LEADERSHIP CLUB MEMBERS.3. INSPIRING OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION THROUGH SHARED LEARNING, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, AND ADVOCACY, PARTICULARLY THROUGH BATONGA'S ADOLESCENT GIRLS LEARNING CIRCLE.IN 2019, BATONGA CONTINUED TO CONVENE, GROW, AND CULTIVATE A REGIONAL THOUGHT LEADERSHIP NETWORK, RESEAU BATONGA D'APPRENTISSAGE DES FILLES ADOLESCENTES BNIN, OR, BATONGA'S ADOLESCENT GIRLS LEARNING CIRCLE, TO SHARE EVIDENCE-BASED KNOWLEDGE AND PROMOTE INNOVATION TO ENSURE THAT BATONGA AND OTHER ACTORS IN THIS FIELD ARE DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND IMPACTFUL PROGRAMS FOR ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN. THE LEARNING CIRCLE MET ON A BI-MONTHLY BASIS AND BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO TARGETED, EVIDENCE-BASED AND SCALABLE PROGRAMS. THROUGH THIS NETWORK, BATONGA SERVES AS A THOUGHT LEADER AND CONVENER FOR INTENTIONAL, DATA-DRIVEN AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROGRAMS, TOOLS, AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT SUPPORT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN.

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