The Benin Project
An extension of the exhibition currently on display on the 8th floor of the Tisch NYU Photo and Image Department. This version breaks down each active group today, offering an up-close look at the images and audio.
The Klouekanme Center Tree of Life Orphanage
Klouwkanme Center Tree of Life Orphanage
Kantos and one of the children are taking over the dance floor. August 2024.
August 2024
August 2024
The children performing a dance they created, August 2025.
Koutime Women’s Group
Koutime Woman’s Group
Traditionally, dancing and singing are woven into any meeting or general gathering. For this group, they create food with a long shelf life to sustain families in the long term, August 2024.
The main crop used for production, August 2024.
Drying racks created for foods to be dried, August 2024.
Various items ready for sale, August 2024.
Alongside their business, these women were on a club soccer team, August 2024.
The Tchankada Women’s Group
The Tchankada Women’s Group
These women do small-scale agricultural income-generating projects using composting to improve production. Also focusing on women’s Autonomization, August 2025.
Young girl seated behind the adults listening into the meeting. August 2025.
Traditional daily practice where you thank each other for arriving. August 2024. (accurate to say?)
Traditional daily practice where Kantos must ask for permission to speak with them. He cannot move without their permission (to which he turned to me and said this group has been known to leave people stay like that for hours.) August 2026.
August 2024.
Groupement des Femmes des Hommes et Femmes Producteurs de Louffa
Group of Woman and Men Producers of Loofah
During each group visit, Elizabeth read a letter expressing where she had been over the years and how happy she was to see each group work continue. This group specializes in producing loofahs to be sold in markets, August 2025.
It is customary for visitors to drink water offered to them after a member of the group takes the first sip, August 2024.
The seed and fruit of the loofah crop as we walked through the fields, August 2024.
After harvesting, they are submerged for long periods of time to peel back the outer layers, then left to dry in the sun, August 2024.
Designated storage place for loofah, August 2024.
August 2025
Groupement de Femmes Apprêtées Orphelines aux Divers Métiers de Agbonougan.
Group of Orphaned Female Apprentices in Various Trades in Agbonougan
The woman in the foreground is Edah Jolie. She created a space and opportunity for girls to learn how to make clothes and do hair, giving them a chance to work a steady job once they are old enough. Some girls stay with the woman permanently, and others come only during the day, August 2025.
August 2024
Inside the workshop for seamstresses, August 2025.
To generate income, the groups sell grafted seedlings. The grafting process involves taking a cut from a well-producing tree and planting it with a new seedling. This assures the new tree will also produce good fruit within three years. Fruit tree grafting was one of the main skills Elizabeth and Kantos taught people how to do due to its sure-fire way of supporting themselves, August 2024.
Mrs. Jolie with one of her twins, August 2024.
Groupement des Femmes Bobognon
Group of Women of Bobognon
This was one of the first, biggest, and most engaging groups that Kantos and Elizabeth started working with. The group was seeking ways to generate income from their assets. This resulted in the selling of agricultural production, tree nursery production, and grafted fruit production, which they continue to do today. The two women sitting in the front are both original members from when the project started, August 2024.
Dancing that occurred for almost an hour before the meeting, August 2024.
August 2024
Due to the time that has passed since Elizabeth was able to visit the meetings were held in a more formal tone, where a leader would prepare some words, then Elizabeth would read her letter, and more dancing was sure to follow. If these meetings were discussing the progression of the work, then everyone would be moved into a circle with no hierarchy, August 2024.
August 2024
Children observing the meeting from the door and window, August 2024.
Groupement des Hommes Producteurs
Group of Male Producers
Kantos and one of the members dancing to launch the meeting, August 2024.
This group of men plants trees to generate income, selling the timber, fruits, etc. The first step of the process is to protect seedlings, August 2024.
Elizabeth observes the field of more mature trees, August 2024.
Everyone is walking out to the newest field planted, August 2024.
Members listening during the meeting with Elizabeth and Kantos, August 2025.
Group picture, August 2024.
Groupement des Femmes de Houédogli
Group of Women of Houedogli
A way of greeting someone; by holding your hands to your heart, then extending your hands to the guest so the guest may receive the guester, August 2025.
Elizabeth is pouring water for the ancestors as a sign of respect, August 2025.
Kantos and Elizabeth aided in the launching of this group 36 years ago. Later, another Peace Corps volunteer helped this group to build the library that allows girls in the area to have more educational resources, August 2024.
Kantos is poking fun at how one of the group leaders was posing in the last photo, August 2025.
August 2024
Three younger girls are standing in the back and observing the meeting, August 2024.
Dog lounging on the way to the library, August 2024.
Groupement des Femmes de Tatahoué
Group of Women of Tatahoué
Little boy asleep on the floor during the ‘too-long’ meeting. This group specialized in small-scale livestock production, community health, and hygiene education to improve families and communities, August 2024.
August 2024
August 2024
August 2024
August 2024
Groupement des Hommes et Femmes de Djotto
Group of Women and Men of Djotto
Kantos (left), his son (center), and his father (right) standing in this year’s orange tree grove. They produce fruit trees to use themselves or to sell in the markets. They also produce soap for sale in the markets. August 2024.
Two kinds of soap that the group produces, August 2024.
August 2024
There are some areas, and in some families, where it is still customary for the woman to kneel when speaking to a man of more importance, August 2024.
August 2024
Maison
Home
Elizabeth Goodwin and Kodégnon Danké Victorin aka Kantos, are seeing each other for the first time in 34 years, August 2024.
Archival photo of Elizabeth and Kantos with one of the group’s good harvests, 1990.
Kantos is originally from Houedogli, he has been an activist or teacher his whole life. He worked for the Peace Corps as a language instructor on and off throughout the years. Kantos carries on working with these communities, August 2024.
Assogba Ségurelle Christiane aka Christiane, Kanto's wife. August 2024.
Kodégnon Mahougnon Claude Radovane aka Rado one of Kantos and Christiane twins (left), Christiane (middle) and Kodégnon Mahoussé Claudette Naîma aka Naima and twin to Rado (right), August 2024.
Dedavi Djougouna Vivi Euphrasie, aka Dada, is the mother of my mother's host family, August 2024.
Elizabeth and Dada are reconnecting for the first time in decades. My mother often spoke about how they do not speak the same language and yet can communicate fully. I only understood this when she welcomed me into her home for the first time. Dada speaks the local language of Adja, while my mom and I only speak French, August 2024.
Two of Dada's children, with whom my mother lived with now grown. Older sister Jero (left) and younger brother Assani (right) are looking at old photos my mother took and recalling the songs my mother taught them, August 2024.
My mother has sent her host family Christmas cards each year. They have saved all of them, August 2024.
A picture of my mother, another volunteer, and the kids standing in a museum in Abomey, one of the neighboring towns. One of the many outings they took together. (image from 1989) taken in August 2024.
My mother and Jero (daughter to Dad) walking into Dada’s house for the first time in 34 years, August 2024.
Entrance of Dada’s house, August 2025.
Assanatoum, the twin to Assani, cooking a dinner of noodles, sardines, and an egg, as that was something my mom ate frequently with the children she lived with, August 2024.
Fofo, the children's father, at the entrance of his home. Dada is one of Fofo’s several wives, and he was the mayor of the Klouékanmè when my mother lived there. Currently standing at 133 years old, says Fofo, August 2025.
An archival photo of Fofo taken by Elizabeth. He is sitting in front of a building on Dadas' compound in town that he used as his office as mayor. Fofo lives auvillage (in the village) outside of Klouékanmè with his other wives. According to customary law, Dada was given a home in town after giving birth to twins, who are revered, twice. 1998.
During our first visit, back when Fofo donned some of his traditional outfits, alongside a baseball hat, August 2024.
Fabrics out to dry in Dada's compound, August 2024.
Dada walking into her house, August 2024.