The Innov’Action Centre of Parakou (CIAP), the headquarters of the Foundation in Benin

The Innov’Action Centre of Parakou (CIAP), the headquarters of the Hubi & Vinciane Foundation in Benin, was built in 2019. As the name suggests, this centre is the beating heart of the Foundation, where all our new ideas and projects are conceived and developed.

The building itself is a showcase of eco-friendly and innovative construction techniques. The walls are made of compressed earth bricks, providing excellent thermal insulation—crucial in the hot and humid Beninese climate! This means we don’t even air conditioning, even during the hottest times of the year. We chose traditional woven mats for the ceilings and doors, giving the building a unique and stylish look.

CIAP is the perfect spot for training sessions, meetings, and brainstorming. It’s also where we hold cooking demonstrations. Visitors can explore several of our projects inside the building and in the surrounding garden, such as an aquaponics system and a P.I.F. installation (Plants from Fragments).

CIAP has already welcomed many distinguished guests, including several ambassadors, Herman Van Rompuy (chairman of our advisory board and former president of the European Council), Ismael Bako (Belgian-Beninese basketball star and ambassador of our Foundation), and many others.