About the School - Victoria Grace Foundation

About the School

Complexe Scolaire Le Guide, Vogan

Interview with Destin Goka and the Head of the School

by Destin GOKA written in March 2021

About the School and the Founder

Question: Please tell me a little bit about yourself

My name is DEGBE Ablam, I am 46 years old. I was born in Atahonou, a village located about 8 km north of the city of Vogan. I hold a Scientific Baccalaureate (last academic degree); and later obtained my professional Teaching certificate known as CAP CEG (equivalent to a University degree). I have taught in several private colleges (CPL Bon Max, CPL la Fontaine, Mignanu Catholic College, Cegil Massekope) all in the town Vogan.

Degbe Ablam, Founder and Director of the School

Question: Tell us about The School

The school was created in 2013 and was named the “LE GUIDE” School Complex. “Guide” because my goal is to have a school that serves as a guide and a reference of achievement despite ones beginnings. We began with 7 classrooms; we had to put 2 levels into one classroom. This turned out to be the best option with positive outcomes; considering I created the school with my limited funds. Bringing education to the less fortunate is a goal of mine and I hope to make Le Guide a school of reference for others who have a passion to teach in villages and rural areas.

Today we have 11 classrooms: nursery, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, 1st form, 2nd form, 3rd form, and 4th form.In 2013, we started with 8 teachers and today we have 13 including myself and a Secretary. With no Government funding for the school we tend to have several problems. Salaries and the upkeep of the school is solely dependent on the school fees of the students. Some parents cannot afford the school fees, which complicates things. Needless to say, Government free schools in the country experience overcrowding and poor academic performances. Parents prefer to send their children to private schools such as Le Guide even though they cannot pay the school fees. This often means that the school cannot pay the teachers, especially the last 2 months; we cannot pay for the necessary working materials. The other problem with the school is the premises and equipment which are not modern, they are in raffia and the classroom floor is not cemented Picture1. During heavy rains classes go on; but under difficult conditions. The students take turns in keeping the environment clean and sanitising the outdoor toilets.

School fees

Victoria Grace Fashion brand owner Jennifer RONNE initiated the funding of pupils who were unable to pay their fees; and a few others followed and took on the fees of the rest of the students. A total of 25 additional fees were paid and our Teachers received their long overdue salary.
The exam results of these 25 students are out and can be found below. 3 have passed out of the school successfully. Both the School and students were grateful for the opportunity. We understood that sponsorship came from all over the world.
We continue to implore for donations towards educating a child at Le Guide in the town of Vogan.

Interview with Destin Goka, Victoria Grace Fashion