In our school, we already had children with special needs—yet neither families nor teachers always recognised their needs. We saw learners who were struggling or failing, and teachers who cared but had no clue how to support them.
This reflects a national reality: Benin has an estimated 360,000 children with disabilities, and about 60% are out of school. Those who attend often learn with teachers who have never been trained to identify or respond to diverse needs. Regular teachers receive no preparation in inclusion, differentiation, or child development. And special needs teachers—an emerging profession—often have weak theory and little practice, because there are few inclusive schools where they can learn from real classrooms.
This gap created daily frustration: children were not failing because they could not learn, but because adults had never been trained to understand them.
I created Ehuzu to change this.
Ehuzu—literally “it has changed,” and also “revolution” in Fon—exists to give teachers and special needs educators the skills, tools, and real practice they never received; to help families understand their children; and to build the support system schools urgently need.
Ehuzu was born from a simple truth: inclusion cannot work when nobody is prepared for it.
Ehuzu works as a pedagogical innovation lab inside a real school—one that had students with special needs but no system to support them. We built the structure that was missing.
We provide continuous, practical training for regular teachers who never learned about inclusion, differentiation, or child development. We also train special needs educators, whose profession is very new in Benin and who previously had weak theory and almost no practice because inclusive schools are rare. Ehuzu finally gives them a place to learn through real classrooms, coaching, and observation.
We created a multidisciplinary support system: individual learning plans, adapted materials, sensory-friendly spaces, and collaborative routines. Teachers and special needs educators co-design strategies and receive ongoing coaching.
Through innovation projects, they test inclusive practices, document progress, and refine what works—turning theory into action.
In practice, Ehuzu is the environment where teachers and special needs educators finally receive the skills, tools, and hands-on experience needed to make inclusion real.
Ehuzu began inside our school, but quickly expanded. Teachers from other private schools started joining our trainings—some sent by their school leaders, others coming individually to strengthen their skills. Interest grew steadily as teachers gained confidence and children made visible progress.
Our work soon drew attention from public authorities: six of the teachers we trained were recruited by the government, and the Ministry awarded our school a subsidy in recognition of our inclusive model. We also developed cooperation with other inclusive schools, exchanging tools, practices, and referrals to strengthen the national ecosystem.
Universities training special needs educators approached us to host their students, and we now welcome up to four interns per year. For these future specialists, Ehuzu offers the rare opportunity to gain real classroom experience and work alongside a multidisciplinary team.
As we grow, we are preparing the next step: a digital app that will extend Ehuzu’s reach, allowing more teachers and special needs educators across the country to access tools, training, and support for inclusive practices.
Ehuzu has evolved continuously as we learned from teachers, special needs educators, and families. We began with basic training sessions. Quickly, it became clear that training alone was not enough—teachers needed practice, coaching, and feedback. We added classroom observations, co-planning sessions, and peer learning groups.
As more children with diverse needs arrived, we built a multidisciplinary team and created adapted tools: individualized learning plans, visual supports, sensory pathways, behavioural strategies, and materials for non-readers. Special needs educators gained structured practice they previously lacked.
We expanded our approach to include innovation projects, allowing teachers to test new routines, redesign learning spaces, integrate arts or gardens, and reflect on results.
We also strengthened family engagement, helping caregivers understand their child’s needs and support learning at home.
What began as teacher training has grown into a whole-school model that equips regular teachers and special needs educators with the skills and tools to sustain inclusion.
Joining Ehuzu Learning Lab follows a structured process with three pathways, supported by our inclusion support team (speech therapist, orthopedagogue, clinical psychologist, senior special needs educator, etc.). Each pathway combines three formats: theory, practical cases, and in-class practice follow-up/coaching.
1. School pathway
We begin with a diagnostic of teaching practices, learning spaces, and support structures. The school selects an inclusive pilot (a classroom, a learner, or a co-teaching routine). We provide tools, adapted materials, punctual workshops, and expert guidance. A forthcoming app will extend access to resources and monitoring.
2. Teacher pathway
Teachers join a training cycle mixing theoretical modules, practical scenarios, and in-class coaching. They learn inclusion, differentiation, behaviour support, communication, and child development. After each module, they apply simple routines, receive classroom observations, and refine strategies through peer-learning.
3. Special needs educator pathway
Special needs educators follow a professional practice cycle combining theoretical input, case studies, and guided work with learners in real classrooms. They co-plan with teachers, conduct supervised observations, and develop assessment tools, individual plans, and adapted materials.
