Drill a Well and Irrigate a new farm in Benin

Dear Friends, 

As recently reported, the farm is going extremely well, and the outlook looks good under the current new management. I draw your attention to the attached report by Jean-Paul Cyr. He is the immediate past president of our partner, Les Amis de la Saint Camille. He has now taken a management role on the farm and has submitted a report from the field. Please see his report and amazing photos. 

Another new development is that Association Saint Camille (ASC) has broken ground in Nigeria! The new center will be located in Badagry, Lagos State, a one-hour drive from Cotonou, Benin.  

The treatment model will be the same - residential and outpatient care, employing peer counselors, and providing full-scale psychiatric and general medical care.  Patients seeking care have crossed the border into Benin for many years, and 97 were treated in Benin in 2024. Bringing treatment to them has been a goal of ASC for several years. This will be the first center in an English-speaking country. The chaining and abandonment of people with mental health challenges is also found in Nigeria.  

The role of the farm is a model toward self-sufficiency that, in time, will be duplicated in Nigeria. Thank you for your ongoing support of the farm, which will help ASC expand much-needed services to Nigeria.       

• FarmupdateJeanPaulCyrEnglishOctober2025.pdf (PDF)
  

Dear Friends,

We are happy to report good news from the Gbedavo farm!  It is being developed in coordination with the new center treating people with substance use disorders near Dassa, Benin. Our partners at Les Amis de la (Friends of) Saint Camille are taking a management lead at the request of Association Saint Camille (ASC). We are very grateful for your participation! You have contributed to the well, irrigation, and equipment purchases. 

The farm is meeting the goals so far.  Gbedavo 1 (20 hectares, about 50 acres) goals are to grow garden produce to consume at the treatment center and sell to the local community. The produce has made a slight profit. The projected income for 2026 is $18,000 USD.   

The most successful crop has been bananas and is expected to be self-sustaining with new plantings from the existing trees, reducing expenses.  The projected income from bananas in 2026 is $9,000 USD. 

Teak on Gbedavo 2 (50 hectares, about 123 acres) with 33,000 trees planted in 4 years is projected to produce 80,000 USD. Mango trees have been added, and other fruit trees are planned.     

The farm is under new management, with many thanks to Loic, retired farmer, and Gerald, agro-economist, who have returned to their respective homes in France and Mali. A new manager with extensive training and two recovered patients with farming experience have been hired to lead the project after an extensive vetting process. The farm has come a long way under good leadership since being purchased in 2021.

The Reintegration Center, which will house 40 staff and patients in recovery, is weeks away from completion. It will open after the solarization, plumbing, and painting are finished. Here, patients will learn farming and other skills to help them reintegrate into their communities.  

We are excited to have you share in the progress of the farm and the many social, psychological, and financial benefits that are expected from this endeavor.

Thank you!   

• PressReleaseLes_AmisASC_July_2025English_Press_Release.docx (DOCX)