On the 11th day of November my class (Years 6 and 7) went on a field trip to Ouidah. Ouidah is a city in Benin that is very popular. It is the place where people brought slaves to send them to other countries (the Americas) for work. Some Beninese consider it to be a sacred place.

We first went to the Python Temple. It contained a lot of pythons, but they are peaceful; they do not bite. There was a tree called the Iroko Tree. A lot of people think it is sacred so they go to the tree and pray for good things to happen. The tree is about 600 years old.

After that we went for a walk. The first thing we saw was a trading place. This was where people sold slaves and so many other things. Next, we saw another tree that was sacred. The last thing we viewed on our walk was the “forgetting tree.” Slaves had to walk around it and after that they forgot all what they knew. They did this so that the slaves couldn’t communicate and create a rebellion.

The next monument was six metres tall. It described how slaves were locked in a dark room with nothing to eat or drink. It showed the slaves’ blood when they were buried alive, if they couldn’t survive in the dark room. They were put there so that they would have a brief idea of how it would be in the boats that would transport them to other countries.

Afterwards, we went to see the “Point of No Return.” This monument was constructed to explain how the slaves were transported to the boats. It is named like that because it was believed that after crossing that point, the slaves would never return. It was the last monument of our field trip.

At last, we went to eat our lunch. Before that, some of us swam in a salt-water swimming pool. We drank our sodas and headed for the bus. We ate our dessert in the bus and arrived at school earlier than we had expected. The field trip was exciting and fun. It taught us the history of slavery in Benin.

By: Marc-Alain Adjahi, Year 7

On the 6th of November 2015, Years 8 and 9 students and teachers went on a field trip to Ouidah. Ouidah is best known for its role in the slave trade during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, during which time nearly a million slaves were boarded onto ships, from the beach at Ouidah, and they were transported across the Atlantic Ocean. In the 18th century, Dahomey placed a Portuguese man, Francisco Félix de Souza, known as Chacha by the Dahomeans, to manage the slave trade on behalf of the kingdom of Dahomey. To this day, the descendants of de Souza hold a place of importance in Ouidah society.

We were first taken to the renowned snake temple, where snakes roam free. The snakes were placed upon everybody’s neck. Some students, including me, were fearful and anxious, even though the snakes were harmless.

We were next taken to the Gate Of No Return, through which slaves were taken on board ships. The ships were docked at sea, so canoes were sent to pick up slaves. Every man was sent with a woman for the women to become pregnant before arriving at their destination, as pregnant women were sold for more money.

At the end of our tour, we were taken to a restaurant with an alluring swimming pool. We swam for about thirty minutes, after which we began to eat. Right after that, we returned to school.

This field trip gave me a memorable educational opportunity. The history of Ouidah is rich and taught me many lessons. I recommend to all who are reading this report to visit Ouidah at least once in your lifetime; you will not regret it.

By: Vaibhav Iyer, Year 9