 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Marc Tovalou Quénum zita rakazoshandurwa kuva Kojo Tovalou Houénou akazvarwa musi wa 25 Kubvumbi 1887 muguta rePorto-Novo. Porto-Novo yakanga yava mudziviriri weFrance pakutanga kwegumi remakore uye yaizova nzvimbo inokosha yehondo pakati peumambo hweFrance hwekoloni uye Umambo hweDahomey kubva muna 1890 kusvika muna 1894. Baba vake, Joseph Tovalou Quénum d. 1925, aiva muzvinabhizimisi akabudirira kumhenderekedzo yegungwa uye amai vake vaiva hanzvadzi yamambo wokupedzisira akazvimirira weDahomey, Béhanzin. Joseph akanga ari mutsigiri anoshingaira woumambo hweFrance uye aidavira kuti hwaizobetsera zvikuru upfumi hwenharaunda yacho. Akapa rutsigiro rwakakosha kuhumambo hweFrance panguva yehondo dzeFranco-Dahomean, akapihwa menduru yeFrance yekuremekedza basa rake, uye akava mumwe wevatatu vekuAfrica vanopa mazano kuhurumende yeFrance yekoloni. Muna 1900, Joseph akaenda nevanakomana vake vaviri kuParis kuExposition Universelle kana kuti Worlds Fairuye achiri ikoko akasarudza kunyoresa Houénou nehanzvadzi yake yokurera pachikoro chokugara muBordeaux. 