Financed by the World Bank and with technical assistance provided by UNFPA, the SWEDD project’s Safe Space programme covers 28 themes, addressing topics from puberty and reproductive health to financial planning, setting goals, and violence prevention. For many of the girls who join a Safe Space, these sessions are their first exposure to such critical knowledge.

Kpétékan, Benin - “If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have had a child so young,” one girl told her Safe Space mentore Clarisse Fédger-Renaud, 33, from Benin, reflecting on how an unplanned pregnancy had derailed her dreams. As a mentore with the SWEDD (Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend) project in Benin, Clarisse frequently hears such sentiments after delivering sessions on sexual and reproductive health, puberty and pregnancy. 

Mentores like Clarisse act as big sisters, offering guidance, understanding, and a safe space for the girls to share their concerns and dreams. “Many of the girls come to me with questions they’ve never dared to ask before,” she explains. “How do I protect myself? How do I balance my ambitions and family expectations?” she goes on, while setting up the day’s session and laying out the chairs in a semi circle.

For a couple of hours every week, the girls come to the group meetings held almost anywhere. The mobile Safe Space is an innovation of SWEDD Benin, so the mentore goes to the girls if they’re enrolled in sewing school for example like today, rather than make them travel to another location. It can be indoors or outdoors. It’s about feeling safe to talk about anything rather than being within four walls. 

In the SWEDD safe space, Clarisse facilitates transformative sessions where girls aged 15-24, many of whom are out of school, receive life-changing guidance. The goal is to build their self-esteem and give them the knowledge to make something of themselves.  “This isn’t like a traditional classroom where the teacher has all the answers,” she says. “Here, we interact, we share experiences through games and scenarios. The girls see their own lives reflected and gain new perspectives.” Today it’s in the private courtyard behind the sewing workshop where the girls are learning to become seamstresses.

Teaching family planning

One of Clarisse’s key roles is educating the girls about sexual and reproductive health and rights. “We talk about the importance of spacing births and taking care of your body,” she explains. “I ask them, ‘If you have one baby and another soon after, how will you manage?’ They begin to understand the physical and emotional toll.”

Without batting an eyelid, Clarisse also shares her personal experiences to demystify the topic. “My husband and I used condoms to space our children until our first was two years old,” she says. “I tell the girls that planning gives you time to raise healthy, happy children while pursuing your own goals.”

The sessions highlight various contraceptive options, encouraging girls to consult healthcare professionals for guidance. “When you choose the wrong method or don’t have proper support, it can lead to problems,” Clarisse cautions. “We want them to make informed decisions.”

Transforming lives through education

The impact of the SWEDD project is profound. “Through these sessions, the girls learn about their rights, their bodies, and their futures,” Clarisse says. Many discover untapped potential and begin to dream bigger. “Some start saving money to open businesses; others decide to return to school or pursue vocational training,” she adds.

“If we could do it all over again, we’d make it even better,” Clarisse reflects. “The girls gain so much from these safe spaces—not just knowledge, but confidence, ambition, and hope.”