Janelle Manna, Year 5

On 21st February 2023, our class went on a field trip to Grand Moulins du Benin. We were accompanied by our class teacher, Mrs. Nneoma Mbaka, our assistant teacher, Mrs. Beatrice and a parent. It is a big factory that transforms wheat to flour which is used to make bread, cake, spaghetti and doughnuts. The Director of operations, Mr. Hamaoui Mohamed, informed us that the wheat they use is imported from Poland and that Poland is one of the highest producers of wheat in the world. The wheat is brought to Benin in a huge ship. He first took us to where trucks unload the wheat into large conveyor belts that send it to machines which remove dust, stones, metals and other dirt. Then we were taken to the control room where the workers use computers to control all the machines. We also went to where water is added and the wheat is left for 24 hours to swell up. There are machines that grind the wheat. There are other machines that sieve the wheat to remove the chaff. The machines are very large and were shaking with loud noise. It was a bit scary there. We couldn’t hear each other talking. Mr Mohamed took us to the packaging section where the flour was packaged in bags of 25kg and 50 kg. Finally, we were taken to the bakery. We learned that they take samples of flour produced each day to bake bread. This helps them test the quality of the flour. We loved the mouth-watering fresh bread made. We were given some bread to take back to school. It was a memorable trip.

Selina Vitho, Year 5

My class went to Grand Moulins du Benin with our class teacher, Mrs. Mbaka, Mrs. Beatrice and a parent. When we arrived, the director of operations, Mr. Mohammed, greeted us and told us to make three lines so that we will be organised. He counted us and took us to the control room where computers show the map of the whole factory. He showed us where seeds are separated from dust, stones, metals and sticks. We went to different sections where large machines are working. Some are grinding the wheat. Some are sieving out the chaff. There were other machines pouring the flour into bags and sealing them. He also took us to a big warehouse where the flour is stored before it is loaded into trucks and taken to bakeries and shops.

Finally, we went to the bakery where the workers use some wheat flour and bake bread. We were given many loaves of bread. We had fun.