Guillaume’s Story
AN ENTREPRENEUR WHO GIVES BACK
Guillaume, the founder of Bio-Benin, was born into extreme poverty and educated himself out of it. Now he’s doing the same for other Africans.
BIO-BENIN educates young Beninese in:
Restaurant-quality cooking (150+ over 15 years), Organic farming (In progress) and Brewing craft beer (In progress).
Help Guillaume educate others in need so that they too can LEARN TO EARN their way out of poverty. He started with a primary school education and $20 in his pocket, taught himself French from grocery store labels, built his own restaurant with his bare hands, and learned how to brew craft beer from the internet.
Now he needs your help to rebuild a fishpond and expand his brewery to help train more students.
Please give generously. Every dollar counts.
La Natayaise, first craft beer launched in Benin.
This is the face of entrepreneurism in West Africa! Guillaume Lonhoudjo worked tirelessly from 2016 to perfect his own artisanal beer, made from sorghum — the first independently-brewed beer in Benin. Watch how this talented man fought his way up from poverty to find his place in the world and achieve major personal success.
Guillaume’s Story
Guillaume Lonhoudjo, was born into extreme poverty in the West African country of Benin, a former French colony known as Dahomey, on the Bay of Guinea between Nigeria and Ghana. The oldest of six children, he left school at 15 to help his father in the fields, but wanting more left for Cotonou with $20 in his pocket to train as a chauffer, then work in a grocery store and finally find his metier as a chef.
Now, as the proud owner of Chez Guillaume restaurant in Natitingou, in the north of Benin, he teaches young Beninese to cook as well as he does. He’s also taught himself how to brew craft beer, winning a World Bank grant to build a small brewery. He also has a small farm where he grows organic herbs and vegetables for the restaurant and raises rabbits, guinea fowl and chickens.
Guillaume has always helped others along the way, training hundreds of apprentices to cook delicious meals, 90% of whom are gainfully employed as chefs. He also employs dozens of local women to help him make beer and bottle local fruit juices – mango, lemon, and pineapple. With the official launch of his beer, he is set to employ some 30 people and improve the local economy with sales of La Natayaise, the three beers he makes from sorghum – blonde, brune and Tango.
This year, 2025, also marks the start of a training program to teach the young how to brew craft beer. The first of its kind in Benin. With Bio-Benin’s help he’s also planning to raise fish for local consumption, plant and harvest cashew nuts, and install beehives to produce honey! Who knows where his energy and talent will take him next? With your help, he and Bio-Benin can help many of the most underprivileged to earn a living wage and raise themselves out of poverty. Thank you for joining us in the struggle to help those who need it most.