Benin is the bastion of West African Vodun, with its 50 million followers worldwide. Armed with a powerful spirituality, these men and women are fighting to protect their heritage. They are the sentinels of Benin. Practised in secret, behind closed doors or in the open, such as here in this temple shaped like a termite mound, Vodun is a powerful and demanding master for its followers. Aténi is a high-ranking initiate. He plays a crucial role in his own Vodun community. Summoned for a ceremony, he leaves the city centre to return to his village on the outskirts of Porto-Novo.
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