Conversation with a former scholarship student from the Summer School
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Galdos Amoussou, former scholarship student of the Summer School. I am 25 years old and currently living in Parakou.
Which studies did you follow at the university? And why did you choose those particular studies?
I just finished my degree in agronomy. My specialization is in cattle and fish breeding. I chose this university education because I realized that agriculture is the basis for the development of Benin and that this education would enable me to start up a business afterwards.
What has the Summer School meant to you?
The Summer School was an extraordinary opportunity for me. Not only did I learn certain skills, such as speaking in front of an audience, but the Summer School also prepared me for university life and later professional life. You work intensively together with people from all sorts of backgrounds, educations and philosophies. I really learned a lot and on different levels.
With which project were you selected at the time and did you win the scholarship?
I worked on a project about sexual education in the region of Tchaourou. It included both sociological and health aspects. To gather information for my project, I visited and interviewed doctors, officials of the Centre for Social Promotion of Tchaourou, young adolescents and their parents. All these conversations allowed me to optimise my communication techniques. Finally, the Foundation and Materialise selected me for the university grant and I was able to start my studies. On the day of the deliberation, Euloge Adimi from the Foundation called me and told me that I had won the scholarship. When I told my mother the good news, she started to dance for joy.
What other support did you receive from Materialise and the Foundation during your university studies?
Besides the scholarship and the monthly allowances, I received a lot of support from the staff of the Foundation. We had a lot of contact and I could always count on them for advice and support in case of problems. And at the end of my studies I was offered a traineeship at the Foundation. So now, since June 2021, I have been working for them as an agricultural science trainee.
What advice would you give to students who are now in secondary education and want to start university studies ?
The advice I would give to future students is that they should think very carefully about the choice of their education. After all, their future professional life depends on it. And they should certainly think about the possibility of combining their studies with an activity as an entrepreneur. The labour market in Benin is getting more complex by the day. So you should definitely keep the option open to start your own business at the end of your university studies.
