Abdou-Latifou Dare ’27, a botany major with a concentration in sustainable agriculture and a Goodwin-Niering Center scholar, has won a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant to promote peace through education and community building this summer. He will use the money to establish a multipurpose educational and training center called “Nour Al Bayan Wal Huda” (Lighthouse of Eloquence and Guidance), in his hometown of Bassar in the West African coastal country of Togo.

This center will serve as a dedicated space for Islamic education while also offering comprehensive academic and vocational training. The curriculum will include language instruction in Arabic, French and English, as well as practical skills training in farming, computer literacy, shoemaking and other income-generating trades.

“Peace is usually defined as the absence of conflict and, though I agree, I believe it also encompasses physical and psychological well-being, as well as the equitable distribution of resources,” Dare said. “Education is pivotal in fostering peace by providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and values required for harmonious coexistence.”

The poverty rate of children in Togo, where more than 48% of the total population is under 18 years old, was greater than 50%, according to UNICEF’s 2023 annual report. And in 2022, only 66% of boys compared to 59% of girls completed lower levels of secondary school, according to UNESCO.

“The lack of educational opportunities tailored to the needs of the communities perpetuates poverty and social instability,” Dare explained. “Nour Al Bayan Wal Huda will break this cycle by providing a sustainable learning space, equipping individuals with skills for employment and entrepreneurship, and promoting collaboration between different age groups, leading to a self-sustaining and peaceful society tailored to their needs.”

As a high school student at United World College-USA in New Mexico in 2023, Dare was awarded $1,000 from UWC’s Go Make a Difference initiative to implement a microfarming project in Bassar that gifted 72 farmers with a set of three hand tools each.

Dare said the concept for Nour Al Bayan Wal Huda originated in 2017 when he was 12 and began planning the center with a group of likeminded community members. “We initially envisioned the center as an Islamic school, but I initiated a change in direction toward a broader educational and training center after implementing the Go Make a Difference project in 2023.”

He said he first learned of his current opportunity when he visited the Walter Commons during his first semester at Conn. “I had been thinking about graduate programs and scholarships available for international students. Three opportunities stood out to me, one of which was the Davis Projects for Peace.”

According to Dare’s project proposal, after a summer of preparation that will include renovating an existing structure and furnishing classrooms with desks, blackboards, computers and office supplies, the center will officially open in September 2025. He is aiming for at least 20 student enrollments per year within the first three years, with 12 students already confirmed.

Davis Projects for Peace, founded in 2007 by Middlebury College in Vermont, “encourages young adults to develop innovative, community-centered and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues,” according to Middlebury’s website. One hundred or more students from partner schools receive a $10,000 grant each year.

Connecticut College offers a wide range of fellowship opportunities for students and recent graduates. For more information, visit The Walter Commons or email fellowships@conncoll.edu.