Armel Gladja and Gildas Akpo kick the ball during an afternoon soccer game between Youth Venture participants and children at La Casa Grande. Photo by James R. Krabill.

By Jane Morrow
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

2 weeks 

Ages 15-22 

Dates: The last two weeks in July 2023 (details to come) 

Cost: $ 2,700, plus travel to U.S. departure city. Covers travel from United States to Benin, in-country travel, meals and lodging. There will be an additional cost for required vaccinations for entry into Benin. Accommodations will be on the grounds of La Casa Grande Benin, in a small apartment area. 


Located in French-speaking West Africa, the city of Allada is home to La Casa Grande Benin, a Christian ministry for children who need food, shelter and a family.  

This Youth Venture team will become a part of the La Casa Grande family by participating in vibrant worship, dancing, teaching English, planting trees, sports and art projects.   

Benin’s environment includes a palm-fringed beach idyll of the Atlantic coast as well as the rugged scenery of the north and the Parc National de la Pendjari, one of the best wildlife parks in West Africa. Lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and hundreds of other species thrive here. 

Participants will visit cultural sites, like Ganvié, an entire community built on stilts above Lake Nokoué, and the Slave Road leading to the beach where prisoners were loaded as cargo onto ships headed for the Americas. 

Other possible places to visit include: 

Porte du Non-Retour, Door of No Return, Ouidah 

​Marché Dantokpa, an expansive and bustling market 

Related 

Love Across Four Continents - The Ministry of La Casa Grande 

La Casa Grande – Large enough to embrace four continents 

Expanding beyond “The Big House” 

La Casa Grande provides infrastructure for miracles 

 

 

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https://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4838/Youth-Venture-Republic-of-Benin-Tour

​Jane Morrow is a writer and editor for Mennonite Mission Network

 

 

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