Benin

Training and Inspiration for Young Farmers

Farming, the way it has been done for generations, no longer appeals to young people. Many dream of moving to the city, but there is hardly any work for them there. Helvetas instills an entrepreneurial spirit in young farmers and imparts new ideas and methods of growing new kinds of produce, tapping new markets and making better use of the soil.

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Our vision is of a just world in which all men and women determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner.

Stories from our Work

News and Stories

Bellagio Statement on Postharvest Management

A roadmap for achieving food security

Helvetas' strategy in brief

Blogs & News

Blog 07. Jun 2018

Ensuring Safe Homes for the Most Vulnerable

Blog 17. May 2018

Flood Recovery in Nepal : Vegetables out of Sand

Blog 01. May 2018

Improving Kosovan Institutions Through a Performance-Based Grant Scheme

Blog 16. Apr 2018

6 Trends That Are Transforming the Climate Change Agenda

Selected Projects

Burkina Faso

Resilience Thanks to Clean Water

Bangladesh

Clean Drinking Water from the Skies Above

Haiti

Better Prepared for Storms

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Making Markets and Jobs

Multimedia Stories from our Partner Countries

Where Tea Grows on Trees

In the mountainous hinterland of Laos, tea leaves are picked at high altitudes.

Benin’s Urban Farmers

Find out how the cultivation of organic vegetables has changed the daily life of many small farmers in Benin for the better.

Daulima is Building her Future

One year after the earthquake in Nepal, Daulima is fighting for a new home.

Where and How We Work

Where we work

Helvetas helps people in some thirty different countries to actively improve their living conditions. Find out more about our work in each of these countries.

Our Working Principles and Impact

We strive for a fairer world in which everyone can fulfill their basic needs. We support people in taking charge of improving their livelihoods sustainably.

Our Advisory Services

Meet Helvetas’ multi-disciplinary team of development experts advising the private sector, civil society and other organizations.

Our Topics

Skills Development and Education

Lack of education perpetuates inequality because poor countries cannot compete economically without a skilled workforce.

Governance and Peace

In many countries where we work, men and women are unable to claim their rights and participate actively in decision-making processes.

Sustainable and Inclusive Economies

Economic growth does not always benefit the poor and poverty is bad for growth. We need to make a proactive effort to break this vicious cycle.

Rural Access

Lack of transport infrastructure makes it impossible for the poor to escape the poverty trap. We help people get better access to markets, schools and hospitals.

Water

The most vulnerable communities of the world suffer from dirty water.. Every year, we support up to 500,000 people in getting access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities.

Gender and Social Equity

Helvetas makes sure that our work actively and meaningfully includes and supports the most disadvantaged groups.

Environment and Climate Change

Every year, we support over 1,000,000 people adapt to climate change, reduce the risks of disasters, sustainably manage natural resources, and conserve nature.

About us

Helvetas is an independent Swiss development organization that is building capacity in about thirty countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We bring about real change in the lives of over three million disadvantaged people every year. We implement development projects in the areas of water and sanitation, agriculture and nutrition, education, economic development, democracy and peace, and climate and the environment. Helvetas also provides emergency response after disasters. In Switzerland we promote solidarity in spirit and in action and take part in the ongoing developmental policy dialogue. With a Fairshop of our own, we are also committed to fair trade.

Support our efforts with a donation

Such as our efforts to ensure that families have access to clean drinking water, children can go to school and young people receive vocational training.

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Helvetas - a partner for true change

Family Chakma experiences true change

Thanks to their tree nursery, a family in Bangladesh has left poverty and deprivation behind. Surjaa Rani Chakma, the eldest daughter, is going to college – something her grandmother and parents would never have dreamed of for themselves.