Work

In addition to serving as an assistant priest in his diocese, Fr. Obossou coordinates activities of farm organizations to help marginalized and underprivileged people in rural areas.  He works to stimulate agricultural production so that it provides sustainable food for his diocese and community.  From his childhood, he has been impressed by the village people who organize their own mutual help groups to assist each other with farm work.  Although he thinks such groups of people can lead to strong community, he has observed a lack of knowledge and appropriate farming methods in rural areas.  Furthermore, soils have become less fertile as a result of poor farming methods.  He wants to gain practical skills at ARI for rural and agricultural development in his community.  After ARI, he would like to pass on what he has learned, and approach all people in need regardless of their ethnic origins and religions.  He also wants to stimulate people who practice different agricultural systems to have meetings together to learn from each other and exchange ideas.  He would like to form groups of farms according to each kind of production, land, and people, so that farmers can produce food more efficiently. 

Sending

Organization

Service Diocesain de Developpement et Caritas

The SDDC is associated with the Dassa-Zoume Diocese in the central part of Benin. The Diocese was founded in 1995. They address issues of poverty, hunger, disease, and unemployment. It works to train priests in the areas of rural development and agriculture so that they will be equipped to meet the physical needs of parishioners as well as the spiritual needs. SDDC promotes grass roots organizing and gives technical support for environmentally sound rural development.  Their goal is to create healthy self sustaining communities throughout their Diocese.