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Benin Why children in Benin need your helpDespite being one of Africa's largest producers of cotton, the majority of Benin's population lives in poverty and relies on subsistence farming. Under-five mortality rates are very high, and many children are not able to complete their primary education, due to a lack of facilities, trained teachers and the long distances between schools. Child trafficking is also a major problem in Benin, with children abducted, or sold by their families, to wealthier individuals in Nigeria, where they are then forced to undertake hard labour. Country factsBenin achieved independence from France in 1960, and was governed by a succession of military-style dictatorships until 1991, when free elections began. The country is now led by Thomas Yayi Boni, the former head of the West African Development Bank. The country is now experiencing some economic growth, but is still heavily reliant upon trade with Nigeria and subsistence agriculture. While largely peaceful, the country has experience some civil unrest in the north, as a result of land disputes between communities in Benin and neighbour Burkina Faso. It has also been home to thousands of refugees who fled following political unrest in Togo.
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