Hello Everyone,
Hotter than Hades here. The power goes off regularly, so I hope I get this blog done before it happens again.
Yesterday we visited Dédékè. The villagers were welcoming as usual. After the customary formalities of a proper greeting, we sat under the shade of a large tree to talk about the project. They are full of ideas and eager to get started.
Because this is their project, I once again asked them the most important item they wanted to address, and once again, they stated that the school is their number one priority.
I told them about doing the project in phases. I stated that we wanted to start by building three classrooms and a well, if possible. Our discussion then turned to the well.
It seems that the area that has been identified as having water and no rock, may not be available to us as it belongs to a family and not the Church. Liqua, Claire’s assistant and Gildas, the Construction Project Manager suggested perhaps we could build a cistern to collect rain water. This is a good alternative, less expensive, and if a well is dug in the future, can be used as a back up should there be a problem with the well. We await the cost breakdown before making a decision on this item.
Next we spoke about the work that has been going on with the help of Claire, Liqua and Floraison (our Togolese NGO partner her on the ground). The villagers said they have been working hard on getting organized and getting all the paperwork ready to register with the local Prefecture so that they can open a bank account. They are in the process of preparing the soil for the next planting, and are ready with a place to sell their excess fruits and vegetables.
Liqua spoke about the soap-making lessons. She is going to meet with all the women on Saturday to solidify that this is something they still want learn, and to set up a day and time. She brought along samples of the soap to show them.
The children were attending class, and I wanted to visit each class. With me was Paul, our liaison officer; Father d’Almeida, the village priest; and the head of the Catholic education department (I need to get his name, if possible). I think the youngest children were a bit overwhelmed with this very pale woman and three important visitors popping in to say hi! They were very shy.
As we progressed in age from class to class, the children seemed less timid. In the last class –grade 5 & 6 combined — the teacher asked if anyone knew the name of the President of the United States? After some false starts, one boy raised his hand and replied in a strong voice Barak Obama. Amazing! Here, in a village with no electricity, or running water, or even a well; with a shack for a school, was a young boy who knew of our President.
After visiting the classes, we sat back down under the tree to conclude our meeting. I asked if the villagers had any questions for me? The one thing that they wanted to know was when they could start learning other income-generating skills. They have many ideas and want to do everything as fast as possible. Father d’Almeida explained that we will tackle each item little by little. I have to say it does my heart good to see their enthusiasm. They agreed that they need to be patient.
Then it was time for the ceremonial seal of approval — a taste of their palm wine. This is a tradition that I am familiar with. This stuff is powerful!! I took my mini-sip and passed the rest on to Paul.
That afternoon, Paul dropped me at the center of Lomé. I was going to try to find some friends that we had made the last visit to Togo. There is a small alley where the local Artisans sell their art. I made my way there and stared asking if anyone knew the people I was looking for. One thing you learn quickly is that everyone knows everyone else in Lomé, and people will try to help you when you ask.
The person I was asking for was not around, but I ran into another artist that I had been corresponding with via email. His Christian name is Benjamin. We were very excited to see one another. His English is quite good and he asked me to sit and have a refreshment. We chatted about life, and no surprise that tourism is down. Of course, this affects his income. But in true Togolese fashion, his attitude was upbeat. We agreed to meet later in the week, and he helped me get a cab back to Floraison for a last-minute meeting with Claire before she left for the U.S.
BTW, cabs are generally shared here. There were two people in the cab when I got in, and we stopped to pick up one other person before arriving at my drop off. With the heat and humidity, it is always a special experience!!
Claire, Liqua, and I filled Claire in on our meeting with the people of Dédékè. We talked about the possibility of applying for the Ambassador’s Self Help Fund program. The U:S: Embassy awards grants for different projects. They tackle smaller scale items, but Claire thinks that we could apply for a grant for a mill to process cassava. 
This would allow Dédékè an opportunity to quickly process cassava which they can sell, and to rent the machine to other villages as another form of income. We agreed to be in touch when she returns from her trip.
Liqua helped me hail a cab — again filled with people — and made my way back to Josel, my home away from home. After a cold shower and a dinner of fruit (too hot to eat much,) I managed to write a couple of emails before the words started to blur and fell into bed.
To be continued…..
Sounds wonderful Natalie! Well done! Keep going.
Hi Natalie! Thanks for writing… it’s so interesting. Good wishes for your good work. H.L.