The powerful legacy of education

Nicolas Mignanwande was a young boy attending a UNICEF school in his small village of Ganvie, Benin, when Denis Hargrave arrived in the village to shoot a documentary in 1968. The film focused on the challenges of growing up in Ganvie, and the hope and opportunity that the UNICEF school provided. Denis left at the end of the shoot. 

Over the next 45 years, Denis created many more documentaries but he still thought of Nicolas from time to time, until by chance he met a woman named Celine Ahodekon living just a few kilometers from him – and where this story takes an unexpected turn. 

Denis’s Story

“Celine held a woven basket. It was bright. It was the kind I remembered seeing in Benin. I was drawn to her and we spoke about what life was like there today. I told her about my documentary, and then finally, I asked her about Nicolas. She was intrigued and she promised to find out.

Celine contacted her nephew in Benin. Within a matter of weeks, he had located Nicolas, who was surprisingly living just five kilometres away from him. I never expected that I would find out what happened to Nicolas, but there he was, 45 years later.

I knew I had to travel back to Benin and see Nicolas for myself. I couldn’t spend the rest of my life wondering what happened to him. I searched and found an old copy of the documentary, still on the same film reels I had placed them on in 1968. I found one of only two places in Canada that could transfer it safely into a format that can be seen today. Once I had the film, I left for Benin.”

“What I learned about Nicolas was better than anything I could have imagined.”

Denis was astounded by the man Nicolas had become, thanks in part to the education he received as a child. 

“Nicolas studied and he worked hard. Nicolas went from that simple UNICEF classroom to having a classroom of his own. He became a teacher. But that’s not all. He became the Supervisor of Education for Ganvie.”

“Nicolas spent his life teaching the children of Benin, just like the teachers from that old UNICEF school room had taught him.”

“Now, Nicolas is retired. But he hasn’t stopped working tirelessly to change things for his community. Now he’s busy giving girls in Ganvie the chance to learn and to be something more. He’s creating a girls’ school to help empower the future female leaders of Ganvie.”

UNICEF believes that education is every child’s right and is a source of hope, providing a better future for children. Today, generous UNICEF Canada supporters are transforming the lives of vulnerable children like Nicolas, because of a decision they made, sometimes many years ago. That decision was to support UNICEF Canada with a gift in their Will, something we hope you will consider.

You can download our Legacy Giving brochure to find out more about how you can leave a legacy in your Will.