A prank gone wrong
Belvine Adinsi is 16 and lives with her grandmother, aunt and cousins. Her parents both died when she was younger. Belvine has had a motor disability since the age of 13 when she had an accident at school. It was the festive season. At the end of a lesson, she was standing at the entrance to the classroom when a student threw a firecracker. Everyone in the room panicked and rushed to the door to get out. Belvine was pushed over in the chaos and people fell on top of her. She managed to get to her feet and went home.
Two months later, as she was walking home, her aunt noticed that her body was leaning to the left and asked if her foot hurt. It was then that Belvine remembered the firecracker incident and what had happened to her. She went to the hospital for a consultation. After examining her X-ray, the doctor told her that she had a broken bone in her left hip.
Physical therapy to improve her walking
After her accident, Belvine continued going to school until she was 14, but she had recurring pain and it was hard for her to move around. One day, a community-based rehabilitation manager from the NGO Équilibre Bénin visited her school to run a disability awareness-raising session for members of the administrative staff. It was after this visit that Belvine was identified by the school supervisor and referred to the NGO. In 2022, she was put in touch with HI‘s rehabilitation teams and began receiving physical therapy. She was also provided with school supplies.
“Before, I couldn't walk properly, I couldn’t put my weight on my left side to squat or kneel, and I couldn't climb steps. But since I've been doing physical therapy, none of that is an obstacle anymore,” says a delighted Belvine.
Belvine also received corrective shoes, which have helped her improve her balance and move around more easily. “The shoes help me a lot,” she explains. “When I wear them, it’s less painful to walk.”
During the 2022-2023 academic year, when she was in Year 9, Belvine dropped out of school for financial reasons, but also because her marks were not high enough. With the support of HI and Équilibre Bénin, she decided to pursue vocational training instead and chose sewing.
A warm welcome at “Différence couture”
Belvine began her training in November 2023 under the supervision of Pélagie Adogbaclounon from the “Différence couture” workshop. Pélagie, who is passionate about her craft, takes on 15 apprentices between the ages of 14 and 16 and teaches them all the ins and outs of her trade over a period of two to three years. Belvine was her first disabled apprentice so, with the support of the NGO La Colombe Hibiscus, she took part in HI’s training course on inclusive teaching practices in apprenticeships to help her adapt her teaching.
“I called my apprentices together to tell them that Belvine was joining us, and I explained to them that she was a young girl like any other, that she shouldn't be ostracised or stigmatised because of her disability. Belvine puts her heart and soul into her work, and it is paying off. It's often said that you weave a new rope at the end of an old one, and it's true, I am learning a lot thanks to Belvine,” she says.
Pélagie only has manual sewing machines in her workshop, which are harder for Belvine to use, but her corrective shoes help to her operate them.
Every month, a member of Équilibre Bénin comes to the workshop to monitor Belvine's progress. Ghislain Adande, HI's project officer for inclusive education and vocational training in Benin, also calls in regularly to talk to her. He uses the opportunity to organise talks with all the apprentices on subjects such as disability rights, tolerance, self-protection and sexual and reproductive health.
“I've loved sewing ever since I was a little girl,” Belvine tells us. “I liked the idea of making pretty dresses and clothes. In the beginning, it wasn't easy because I didn't know how to do anything. But today, I sew whole garments myself. When I come here, I feel happy. Even when I get home after a day's work, I take clothes, undo them and sew them up again to practice.”
At the end of her training, Belvine will sit a national exam to obtain her garment maker’s certificate. “I still have a year’s training left. I want to finish, open my own workshop and sew pretty dresses,” she concludes.
The inclusive education and vocational training project was launched in Benin in 2022 and will run until the end of 2025. It supports 500 children with disabilities in school and 150 young people in vocational training. Personalised support is offered to each child according to their needs and plans, with assistance for medical care (medicines, analyses), technical aids (prostheses, orthoses, etc.) and tailor-made training. HI also supports the training of teachers and apprenticeship supervisors in inclusive teaching techniques.
