Established in 2018

Hugs for Benin

Motivation for the Mission

Hugs for Benin (HFB) was started by William Ayinon in 2018 when he was a freshman at Newton North High School.

When he was younger William first traveled to Benin in order to visit his father's extended family. While there, William saw the difference between how children in Benin lived compared to life in the US. He vividly recalls the look of joy on one girl's face when she received a brand new barbie doll as a birthday gift.

With a team of 6 other students during 2019, the club organized two supply drives and participated in Newton North's annual International Night.

The club's first supply drive was organized before Christmas, and had a holiday theme. Boxes were set up throughout the school into which students or teachers could drop off school supplies, sports equipment, or toys. The club then participated in International Night, where they set up a station to talk about the HFB project and about Benin as a country. The second supply drive was similar, with more boxes being put out and flyers being hung around the school.

In the summer of 2021, the team focused on fundraising for a trip to Benin and has raised money by doing jobs around their community.

The Trip

Stay tuned for updates on an upcoming trip to Benin!