The Louis Omer-Decugis Foundation is proud to have supported Alodo Benin, a solidarity project carried out in July 2025 in Bohicon, southern Benin, by eight pharmacy students from the University of Paris-Saclay. United by a shared purpose – to support children and families in need while raising local awareness of public health issues – these future pharmacists experienced an unforgettable human and professional adventure.

Members of PhaSol – Pharmaciens Solidaires, an association founded in 2021 within the Faculty of Pharmacy at Paris-Saclay, the students built their mission in partnership with the local association Cœur en Partage, focusing on three main areas: education, health, and construction.

Over thirty days, they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to different axes of the project. Four of them provided French and mathematics tutoring for forty pupils in difficulty at Passagon Secondary School. “It was during the summer holidays, so the students weren’t required to participate. Yet they went to school every day with a smile,” recalls Éline Stocchetti, the project’s treasurer. Classes were held in the mornings, while afternoons were filled with games and activities in the schoolyard. The “young teachers” spent their evenings marking exercises. “It was intense, but seeing the joy and progress of the students the next morning gave us all the energy we needed,” she adds.

Two students focused on the health aspect of the project. After several visits to the local dispensary and hospital in Bohincon, the team noted a lack of awareness among residents regarding hygiene, nutrition, and vaccination. They organised information sessions for mothers on their children’s vaccination schedules, took part in malnutrition screening, and held a dental hygiene workshop for local pupils.

Finally, two volunteers contributed to the construction of a new administrative block at Passagon school. With their very own hands, they learned how to make bricks, lay them properly, and prepare the cement. The new facility – including a staff room, a head’s office, and a supervisor’s office – now helps to improve local educational conditions.

At the end of their mission in Benin, the eight students returned home with their hearts singing, proud to have made a meaningful and lasting impact. Above all, they brought back unforgettable experiences, enriching encounters, and friendships that will last a lifetime. As project leader Salomé Goncalves-Ramos movingly summed it up: “We grew together and feel honoured to have discovered and shared such a rich and welcoming culture.”