“I'm the role model of changing destiny in my village,” said Pierre Guigou, a staff of a municipal project undertaken by Hunan Road & Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd.(HNRB), a subsidiary of Hunan Construction Investment Group, in Benin.  

He is diligent and motivated, rising from a handyman to a team leader. Today, he has worked on local projects for over six years. He has not only mastered the welding technology of anti-seepage membrane in a landfill, but also become an expert in the pipeline network.

Now, he is responsible for the relocation of a part of the power grid, water network and telecommunications network of Benin municipal project (Phase II). His monthly salary has also increased from 800 yuan to 4,500 yuan.

Pierre comes from Natitingou City in northern Benin. He even built a concrete house for his farther in his hometown instead of the original simple wooden house.

His story is spread in the village to motivate others. His father would also call the Chinese staff of HNRB on every important holiday to express sincere holiday greetings and thank the company for providing growth opportunities for his son.

In recent years, Benin has witnessed an increasing demand for infrastructure construction in the process of urbanization. The Benin municipal project undertaken by HNRB emerged under such circumstances. The engineering content of this project covers multiple professional fields such as civil engineering, asphalt pavement, drainage engineering, greening and fire protection.

It's an important livelihood project planned by the local government to improve the urban appearance and enhance the life quality of residents.

HNRB project often recruits young people from Benin, with a maximum of over 900 local employees. “We provide systematic and professional training to local employees, and workers actively cooperate to ensure the smooth progress of the project,” said Ji Zhilin, the business manager of the project. The Chinese side and local employees will work together to promote the project construction. The young people who have working experience in Chinese enterprises are quite popular in the job market in Benin.