Building Communities, Bridging Continents

Peace Corps/Togo Third Annual Non Governmental Organization (NGO) workshop was held  in the village of Sokede in Togo’s Centrale Region on April 12-14.  The theme for the Conference was Building Communities, Bridging Continents.

Martin, SeauSo, Tamara

This three day NGO workshop was sponsored and funded by the International Rotary Club.  Peace Corps Volunteers Tamara Mack and Martin Stirlicchi were the coordinators  this year.  The first annual conference was for NGO’s in the Maritime Region, second year was for NGO’s in the Plateau Region and this year was held in Sokede in the Centrale Region of Togo.  It’s an ambitious project in itself, with many Togo challenges.  Over twenty-five people attended from ten NGO’s.   Five sessions were covered over 2-1/2 days under the themes of project planning, strategic planning, human resource management, non-profit marketing, and IT.  This was a great opportunity for us to work with Togo organizations in various stages of professionalism, but all doing good work.

For the second year in a row, I agreed to give a presentation for the NGO Conference.  Last year I partnered with Dillon Tindell, giving a presentation and leading a workshop on how to evaluate and measure success of an NGO project or program.  This year  I partnered with Beau Lore.  Our presentation and workshop was on Strategic Planning for an NGO, program or project.  All presentations and facilitations were given in French.  The entire weekend was Francais!   Mmmhmm.

Me and Beau

Beau lives way up North but traveled to Maritime (about a six hour bush taxi ride) twice to meet with me and stay with me for a couple days to prepare our presentation.  In addition he and I spent many hours practicing our presentation once we met in Sokede, working at least forty hours in preparation.  It’s always more work than you think it’s going to be. Most strategic planning for non-profits is easily a three to four day session.  We had to condense our presentation of that material into three hours total.  We had great direction and reference material from Tamara and Martin, and Beau and I were well matched partners.  Kind of a right brain, left brain partnership.  We took it all very seriously, but had a LOT of laughs.


The conference itself was held at a large Catholic church complex on the outskirts of Sokede.  We had one large conference room and a projector to show our powerpoints.  When you think of a conference complex, of course you will think of a nice American conference Room with comfortable chairs and amenities.  This was a slab of grey cement with wooden tables and chairs.  No amenities. 

We slept in dorm like rooms with bunk beds, three to four people

Lunch/Dinner/Desert

to a room.  I shared a room with Ryan, Tamara and Martin.  Showers and bathrooms were shared by all; participants and presenters.  It was rough, but everything was clean.  We were served our meals, snacks and drinks throughout the two and half days.  All of the food was Togolese;  either rice or foofoo with sauces and banana’s for desert.  Popcorn was served as a snack.  For breakfast we had bread and coffee. 


Tamara and Martin were great coordinators.   Not only were they well prepared and organized, they also provided amusing entertainment; skits, dancing, telling jokes in the evenings so that the presenters and participants could get to know each other.


Though this was a lot of hard work, I enjoyed it, and I certainly enjoyed the outcome.  The Togolese NGO participants were alert and eager to learn. They were also very pleasant, friendly and fun to be around.   It was a lot of information and fairly complex content for them to take in, but they hung in there.

Our Workshop

 After our presentation on Strategic Planning Beau and I facilitated a workshop to demonstrate one small part of strategic planning.  We had the participants break into groups from their own association.  There were three or four people per association.  Their task was to pose the goal of their association into a positive statement; to define what the immediate objectives were to reach that goal, and finally to determine what the key results would be if they were successful in meeting their overall goal  Then one or two of the associations presented their findings in front of the entire group.  They did a great job.  It was gratifying to see them examine their goals and what they needed to do.  Walking around the room and listening to them discuss their NGO’s in analytical terms was very rewarding, and made all the effort Beau and I had put into it well worthwhile.


These NGO’s provide Togolese with much needed assistance in health, education, advocacy, development and so much more.   I’m quite sure that each person who attended this conference left  with information and tools which will make themselves and their NGO’s more professional and more effective.    I was really  happy to be a part of it.

The Complex Grounds, right outside our dorm and
the conference room

Sidenote:  Fighting the elements of Togo is always part of the package and part of the challenge.  It was hot and humid.  So hot, we were dripping sweat throughout the weekend.  The bunk beds were hard.  There were huge spiders, and most of the showers didn't work.  For each of the presenters it was easily a six hour bush taxi ride both ways.  What makes it all not only bearable, but so rewarding is the comraderie between the Peace Corps Volunteers and the earnest desire for change in Togo from the participants.  My thanks to the International Rotary Club for funding; to Tamara and Martin for their leadership and endless hours of preparation; and especially to Beau, my right brain pal. 


We did it Beau!!  Du Courage!!!

Babies

Since I’ve been here I’ve been amazed at how many babies there just are.  I'm also amazed how quiet and still they are.  They are always in their mothers papoose from the time they are born until about age 2 or 3.  If twins, the mother carries one in front and one in back.   Babies are either in the papoose or breastfeeding.  These papooses look terribly uncomfortable to me, but the babies appear very peaceful and content.   Are they?   I talked to some people along the way about why the babies are so quiet.  Here….it's rare that you hear a baby cry, and they are usually sleeping or just quietly looking around.  One Health Peace Corps Volunteer gave me her opinion.  She said she thought that an awful lot of them are sick, and that’s why they are so quiet and sleeping all the time.  She also told me she had heard that they give babies Sodebe (the local liquor).  I wonder?  They are wrapped up like cozy cocoons for the first two years.  They remind me of baby kangaroos, with just their little heads popping up, looking all around.  My favorite scene is to see a woman approaching me and I can see two tiny feet sticking out in front.  I see that all the time….two little feet at a woman’s waist.  You would have no idea walking towards a woman that she is carrying a baby, except for the feet.

I wonder and worry everytime I see a woman strapping the baby on her back….or readjusting it, as they often do throughout the day.  They untie the pagne they have wrapped around their waist…hoist the baby to their back…pull the pagne under her little bottom, and tie a knot in the front.  Architecturally once the pagne is tied, she’s secure….but getting the baby in place always makes me cringe.  No one else has any worries about it.   I don’t know how that baby keeps from falling off.  Especially with the little girls who carry babies around.  All the time!  I’ve seen some of the tiniest little girls, carrying a baby in a papoose; probably a sister, or a neighbor.   They have the process down pat…it’s like innate.


There is one tiny problem with the papooses…aside from the fact that we have no idea how many babies do perilously slip out.  The other problem is that almost all of the children are bow-legged.  Just as bow-legged as the most bow-legged cowboy you can think of.  Well of course they are.  From the day they were born, their legs have been stretched to fit around their mothers waist.  So there’s all these little kids running around as bow-legged as can be.  But alas!!!  I’ve also purposely observed that the vast majority of the teens and adults are not bow-legged, so somewhere along the line that problem must work itself out.


I’ve often thought of Hillary Clintons book, It Takes a Village.   I understand how that concept works here.  Everyone seems to take care of everyone else, young and old.   Old women will take a fussy baby away from a mother with ease, and strap the baby on her own back.   I know that mothers breasts and  milk is shared easily and often.  They think nothing of offering their breast to another woman’s child. 



I rarely hear a baby cry.   And there’s a lot of babies!!  All these babies…so many… too many, but that’s another story.  This story is just about the phenomena of the quiet babies.

On the Brighter Side...

Mahsoblee and her Gramma, waiting to be seen at the clinic.
Always connected.

I haven’t had any updates on Mahsoblee lately.  She’s been very gradually getting better and better.  I’ve almost not wanted to say anything.  Superstition I think.  Cautious.  When she comes over, I always touch her forehead to see if she's warm, and I try to take a peek at her tummy, and always look at her eyes for signs of yellow, for potential liver problems.  The whites of her eyes have been noticeably yellow since we started this process…..and NOW they are clear.  They are white!!  I think it’s a big accomplishment.  To me, it means that her liver is healing.  Even her tummy is less distended.  It’s now less distended than most the kids around here.  Could this medicine and regime of medical care be working??  I can hardly believe it! 

Mahsoblee comes over every day.  More often than not her BFF Regina is by her side.  They come by early evening when the sun is just going down, but it's still light enough to see.  We sit on the front porch where there is usually a little breeze.  They just act silly most of the time.  Teasing me, and running around.  They always ask to do bubbles, and when we do, five or ten more children show up out of nowhere.  I’ve taught MB and Regina to count to ten in English.  They want to recite it each time they visit.  I can’t help but marvel that Mahsoblee, today, appears to be healthy and happy.  Going to school, playing with the other kids, often the leader.  She’s sumpthin else.

Check out her pose

Today we went to Kouve for her monthly check up, and to refill  her medication.  When I was in Lome last week I bought her two little sundresses.  Other than the Christmas dress I bought her (which is already too small) She has only two raggedy dresses that she wears every day.  She doesn’t seem to mind, always showing up at my door with a kind of radiant self confidence.  However….she’s a girl, and most girls have a gene that makes them love to look glamorous, and feel glamorous, at least once in awhile.   Culturally I’ve seen that around the world.  Mahsoblee is no different.  This morning she showed up in one of her new sundresses.  It was the first time she’d worn it.  She had a smile a mile wide, and her eyes were full of fun.  I told her I wanted to take her photo, which she always loves.  And I swear to goodness, Mahsoblee assumed this pose all on her own.  Ha…that girl knows  that she is sumpthin else!!

Mahsoblee takes charge!

She also carried a little pink furry purse.  We keep all of her records in that purse, and Mahsoblee is the one who carries them and gives them to the woman in admitting at the Kouve Hospital.  She takes responsibility for her health and treatment.  We had great news today.  As I suspected, she is doing better than ever.  The doctor said, at this time the only medicine she needs to take is iron for her blood, and he noted how clear her eyes were.

Kim is a Peace Corps Volunteer who lives in Kouve.  She has come to visit Mahsoblee in the hospital and she’s also helped me out from time to time.   She has gotten to know Mahsoblee.  I called her when we reached the hospital and told her we were there.  She rode her bike over.  Mahsoblee saw her in the distance and ran out to greet her. They were happy to see each other. Kim went in the doctors office with us, and got to hear the good news.  I thought that was nice, that she was there.  It was a sweet moment.  We were all happy.  Ama, Mahsoblee, me and Kim.

For more on Mahsoblee visit: http://terrynichols.blogspot.com/2011/07/mahsoblee.html

Between the Hands of God

Agbessi and Ama

I went to a meeting at David’s house yesterday morning.   I was in a good mood.  One of those days or hours that all seemed right with the world.  After my meeting with David I decided to go see Honou Koffi.  Honou lives a short distance from David.  As I walked to Honou’s house a woman stopped me.  I had never seen her before.  She told me her name was Ama.   Ama told me her child was sick, and she pleaded with me to come and see her.  I did.  Her little girl, Agbessi,  is five years old.  She was laying on the hard floor of the hut motionless with only a piece of fabric under her little body.  She looked very sick.  Very sick.   The little girl was barely conscious, and she groaned in pain when Ama pulled her up on her lap.  Ama’s husband was sitting on a log in the compound.  He looked desolate.  There was something else in his eyes…. I thought that maybe he just felt bad because he didn’t know how to help.  He looked ashamed.  He looked worried.   I asked Ama if she had taken Agbessi to the clinic.  Ama replied that they didn’t have any money.   I sensed this was very serious.  

 

I called Mathew the clinic director and told him I was sending a little girl to be examined, and that I would pay for whatever they needed.   Mathew has the most difficult job in Tchekpo.  He has to turn people away every single day because they don’t have money.  He has no choice.  He see’s people die who shouldn’t die.  He sees people suffer who shouldn’t have to suffer.  Literally a few dollars would prevent death and suffering in so many cases.  Mathew is a quiet, humble man.  He’s a good man.  He rarely smiles.   He looks deep into your eyes.  He speaks with a very soft voice.  He makes no excuses.  I can feel the wieght of the burden he bears every time I see him.

 

Ama  took the child to the clinic right away.  I had a meeting to go to, but I asked David if he would check on them later in the day.  David called me that night and told me that Agbessi was much better.  He said that Mathew had given her an injection.  He didn’t know what was wrong with her.   I guessed it was malaria.  It usually is.  I was feeling happy that I had helped.

 

I was going to go see Mathew this evening to find out what had been wrong with Agbessi, to thank him, and to pay him.  The fee was equivalent to two American dollars.  But first,  this morning I walked over to  Agbessi’s house to see how she was doing.  She looked much better.  She was standing, and she didn’t have a fever.   Ama thanked me.  Both of them seemed so sad though.  I sat with them for awhile, and tried to cheer them up.  I took their photo and showed it to them.  I think what I took for sadness was the look of pure hopelessness.  They both knew what I didn’t know.  That this was something they’d been dealing with for some time. Ama and Agbessi both looked like pictures I’ve seen of holocaust victims.  Blank stares.  Dead but alive.  Hopeless.

Mathew told me the bad news.  Agbessi has AID’s and so does her mother and her father. 

 

I see a lot of sick people here, too many sick children.  I’ve seen a child die right before my eyes because her parents didn’t have enough money to buy four dollars worth of medicine.  I know that Mahsoblee would have died without our intervention.   Death hangs over the people of my village like a dark cloud. 

 

Ama and Agbessie know there is no hope.  They know it’s just a matter of time.  They suffer.  I have no answers.

 

Agbessi's name means Between the hands of God.

Champignons and Champions!

Mushrooms (champignons-fr)

Sky, Honou and Raoul

If you’ve followed my blog you’ve heard me talk quite a bit about Honou Koffi.  He is the seventeen year old handicapped boy I work with on a variety of projects.  Honou likes to share.  He brings a lot of people by to meet me, friends, neighbors, fellow students…people he thinks I oughta meet, or might be able to help in some way.  He wears me out sometimes…and I have to hold my breath when I see him bringing yet another person to meet with me.  Many months ago he brought his cousin Raoul by.  Raoul is about twenty-five.  Tall, slim, handsome and soft-spoken young man.  They took a seat on my porch.  Raoul had a manila envelope resting on his lap.  After greetings, and a little small talk, Honou said that Raoul needed to speak with me about something.  At that point he opened the envelope and pulled out some papers.  He explained to me that he suffers from debilitating headaches; so bad that he cannot work, and it’s difficult for him to be in the sunlight.  Those two things greatly limit his ability to make a living.   He was attending the University of Lome several years ago and the headaches came on suddenly and unrelentingly.  They have never stopped.  It is constant.  You can see it in his face and eyes, and the way he carries himself slowly and carefully while walking.  I think it’s also why he speaks so softly; because it hurts. 

Raoul

Raoul is exceptionally smart.  He has to be smart to have graduated from the Lycee (high school) and passed the rigorous tests to gain entry to the University of Lome.  I know that Raoul thought there must be some way I could help.  I did try.  I talked to my daughter Emily about Raoul.  She works for a large hospital in Kansas City, and she has a huge heart!  She also met Raoul when she was here visiting me. Emily is not  a nurse.  She works in Administration, but she knows all the doctors.  She asked around to see if anyone had suggestions.  I promised to scan all his medical records and email them to her, which I did.  Emily did get the name of a doctor who does a lot of work here in Africa, and she wrote to him.  He replied, but the only advice he had was that Raoul needed to find a good doctor.  I’m sure that doctor must make the difficult choice of who he can help, and who he cannot.   Raoul begged for help.  He wrote a letter to both Emily and Eric when they returned, pleading for help and saying that he was at the end of his rope, that life was not worth living anymore.  Still; we had no idea how to help with this. 

Raoul has an x-ray of his head, and he has a long, long list of medications that a doctor in Lome has prescribed, including anti-depressants.  I’m very, very leery of all this medicine he is taking.  I don’t have much confidence in the doctors prescribing the right course of action.  I’ve personally experienced with Mahsoblee….a real neglect in prescribing and explaining medicine.  I’m sure determining the source a of headache is difficult to diagnose in the states…probably almost impossible here.  Raoul said that the doctor told him he needed a special “scan.” But that would cost $160 plus a trip to Ghana.  Raoul is one of many, many people in Tchekpo who need medical assistance.  I also have to make difficult choices.  I don’t have the resources to help Raoul with his headaches right now, so I tried to find another way to help him.  A possible solution that is more in line with what I’m here for; which is to assist people to start and grow businesses that might help them, help themselves.  I’m not satisfied that this was my only solution for Raoul, but for now, it’s all I have.  Raoul had also told me that his parents don’t have any money, and that he cannot ask them for anymore help.  His illness thus far has depleted all of their savings.  He feels bad and guilty about this.

During the time that Raoul waited for word that we could help his headaches, he and Honou visited me often.  They told me of their dreams to build a business.  Raoul has told me many times that he loves animals.  When he says it, you can feel his gentle nature.  Ultimately, his dream is to have an elevage farm.  Elevage is the practice of breeding animals for the purpose of making and selling fertilizer.   But that takes money to start.  And neither he nor Honou have any money to start that business.  As I talked with them, I realized how bright they both are, and how motivated.  They also want to grow moringa.  Moringa is a wonder-plant here in Africa.  It grows fast, and just about anywhere, and it used for many, many things, including as a nutrient in foods.  In addition they would like to start a pineapple farm.  Oy-veh……such ambition.

Everyone’s first inclination when they come to me for assistance is that I have money to give them.  I have to repeat often that I do not have money to give them, but that I’ll try to think of a way to help them help themselves. 

Sky

We had a Peace Corps Volunteer conference last summer.  During the conference, one of the Agriculture volunteers, Skyler(Sky),  gave a demonstration on how to grow mushrooms in black plastic bags.  In Togo these bags are called sachets.  They are used for everything, and pollute their villages, so it's an added benefit to make some use of them.  His demonstration captured my attention because it looked easy, and it seemed like you could do this rather cheaply.  I asked Sky if he would come to my village to give a presentation.  He agreed.   I have to say this is one of the many things that is so wonderful about the Peace Corps Volunteers.  How they all so readily share their knowledge, often traveling to far-away villages in uncomfortable bush taxis; as was the case with Sky.  Sky’s willingness to do this dramatically changed Honou and Raoul's life forever. Raoul and Honou are both handicapped.  They are limited to what they can do because of Raoul's headaches, and Honou lives his life on crutches.  This was definitely something they could both do.

The teacher and his students

Sky came to Tchekpo and stayed with me for three days.  Starting a mushroom farm is a three day process.  Sky had given me instructions on what to buy and have on hand for this first round of instructions.  I traveled to Tesvie and footed the bill for three sacks of mushroom spores, and a variety of other items that will help make the soil rich.  I met with an awesome woman (Ackbennie)  who has been successful growing and selling mushrooms in sachets.  She was generous with the information she shared and with her time.  She spent an entire morning with me.  She proudly showed me her mushroom growing shed.  She took me to the various places for supplies, and even rode with me in a bush taxi to a non-profit organization that will sell mushroom spores cheaply.  I went back to Tchekpo armed with everything we needed.  I was excited to show Raoul and Honou.

Mushrooom Shed

They were a little confused when I first introduced this subject.  They had never considered growing mushrooms.  For me, it was the cheapest, quickest way to get them started.  Yes, I paid the bill for the supplies and the spores for their first harvest, but it didn’t cost much and was much cheaper than any of the other things they wanted to do.  I explained to them that I understood their ambitions, and what they really wanted to do, but first they needed to earn money to do those things.  I also explained that this would teach them everything they needed to know to expand their business and to be profitable.  They looked dubious, but they went along with me.  We started meeting several times a week.  I gave them books and instructions on bookkeeping and explained that unless they understand the concept of good bookkeeping they might as well not ever start a business.  To us, Americans, it seems like keeping track of expenses and income would be just a logical step, but to the people in my village it is a foreign concept,  they never have thought about it.  Expenses exceed income for many if not most vendors here, and they don’t realize it.  As long as they go home with some money in their pocket after a day of selling at the marche, they are satisfied.  It’s a sad fact, but true.  After a few meetings, Raoul and Honou understood very well,  why I was so insistent about this.  I often had to tell them, that I knew what they wanted to do, but first they had to earn some money to be able to move into elevage, and moringa and pineapple.


Sky patiently and kindly showed them the three day process of growing mushrooms.  It was doable.  For Sky’s training we used one of the three bags of spores that I had purchased.  In a few weeks, Raoul and Honou would plant the rest of them by themselves.  They became fast friends with Sky.  We walked to Raoul's house so that they could show him their big plans.  They had land nearby where they could grow moringa, and pineapple, and Raoul had already started building crates for elevage.  I told them they needed a name for their business.  They named it ‘Young Men’s Business’.  Not too dramatic, but they were pleased with it, and to them it seemed significant. 

L-R Raoul, Honou, Ackbennie

Ackbennie and her students

During the time we were waiting to plant the other two bags of spores, I took them to Tesvie to meet with Ackbennie (the woman who had helped me buy the supplies,) so that she could show them her shed, and talk to them about the benefits and pitfalls of growing mushrooms.  They loved Ackbennie.  She was a wealth of information for them.  They now had a full circle of information, from Sky who taught them the basics of growing mushrooms to me teaching them bookkeeping and Ackbennie teaching them how to sell them, how much to sell them for, and what they might expect.  After seeing Ackbennie’s shed, Raoul went  home and built his own shed. 

The following weekend they planted the rest of the spores. They have had their first harvest.   They sold every one of them in a few days without hardly even trying.  Seems the people of Tchekpo know about mushrooms, but no one has grown or sold them here before.  They have a waiting list for the next harvest.  Each bag of spores (they have 3) produces about three harvests…So they have enough to see enough profit to be able to invest in their next step.  Step 2 - Moringa!

Sky came back again last week.  He was so impressed with what they had accomplished, and I think was wowed by the shed Raoul had built.  They showed him their bookkeeping ledger from their first harvest, which shows a profit!! He spent a lot of time with them.  They listened intently to everything he had to say.  Sky also brought a sack of moringa seed for them to plant.  Ben,  another volunteer who has a specialty in growing moringa is coming in a few weeks to meet with them.

Raoul and Honou are going to be successful.  They are going to be able to make a living for themselves, and expand their business.  I think Raoul will soon be able to have enough money to go to Ghana and find a doctor who might be able to help him with his headaches.   It was exciting for me, and for Sky.  So many things we attempt, don’t have this good of an outcome for a variety of reasons.  Sky and I both talked about how motivated they were and how gratifying it was to help them.

I’ve told Raoul and Honou often, “ The student becomes the teacher”.  When they move on from mushrooms, they need to share what they've learned and teach others here, how to grow them.  I also want them to teach bookkeeping to the Women’s Groupement Association (75 women who sell their farm products at the local marche)  and at the Lycee (high school.)  They say they will.  I believe they can do anything.  I’m so proud of them.

Raoul, Sky, Raouls father, mother and sister, and Honou

SideNote:  Sky is a really nice looking young man, with thick, brown, long, curly hair.  When we went to Raoul’s house; Raouls mother started laughing and shouting…Jesu Christo…Jesu Christo….for a second she thought that Jesus Christ had come to visit.  We all had a good laugh.  I think there was a little part of them that believed maybe he had.  At any rate I know they felt like their prayers had been answered.

Shades of Africa

I never imagined I’d be saying, what I’m about to say.  And now it seems ridiculous that I haven't had an awareness of this all along.  I have come to love the colors of Togo!  I’ve spent a lot of my time here thinking how awful and dirty and ugly everything is from a purely aesthetic point of view; and more than once wondered what it would be like for people from my village to wander the streets of Paris or Madrid or walk through Loose Park in Kansas City.  Everything green and lush and orderly and clean.  I showed Leah’s mom photographs of Spain.  I could see that she was stunned by the beauty of it.  She’s barely ever been out of Tchekpo.



It seemed like suddenly I was seeing colors and landscapes that stopped me in my tracks with their unique beauty.  I don’t know if it’s because at this time of the year the colors are more enhanced or if it’s always been this pretty, and I just didn’t see it.  Where once everything seemed just dirty, dark red.  Everything.  Now I see a unique red and different variations of red; a lot of yellow and gold.  Colors that glow in the sunlight and at dusk.  Most people’s huts are made of clay bricks.  I used to find it dismal.  Now I walk down the path and think how beautifullyand naturally  they fit into the landscape. Every now and then someone has painted their house.  There’s a beautiful compound just down the road.  I admire the woman and her son who live there.  They just painted their house the prettiest blue.  It's almost violet and it blends in so beautifully with their clay courtyard and garden.   There is trash and waste scattered everywhere along the way.  But inside the compounds are clean, comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

I’ve caught glimpses of beauty here, but it isn’t easy to see past the squalor in Togo.  Pagne has always captured my attention. It’s always been a pleasant diversion for me. Pagne is the bright colored fabric that is ubiquitous in Africa.   I especially look forward to seeing the kaliedescope of colors and design on the men, women and children for special occasions and for Sunday church service.  If someone hasn’t done a photography book on African Pagne, they should.  There’s nothing more vibrant or more revealing than the world of pagne.  I revel in the variety, the colors, the personality of pagne and those who wear it.  There’s no black or beige or taupe here!  I often spend my time in church examining everyones pagne.   I wonder about the steps each person took to arrive at this creation, this pattern, and design.  Each one so uniquely different, and most are beautifully sewn.  The designs and colors are such an expression of the person, family and occasion.  No one fears going over the top.  No one snickers at the woman whose headscarf is defying gravity and sparkling at the same time.  They embrace this expression of individuality.  Nothing aesthetically defines Africa like pagne.

Doors have also captured my attention over my time here.  I’ve come to realize that doors to compounds are a sort of status symbol.  There are reed doors, and wooden doors, and metal doors.  The metal doors are handworked and their patina changes color over time.  They are made by artisans.  A metal door and a cement compound floor is upper class in Tchekpo.  Most people have reed or wooden doors and dirt floors.  None of the doors could keep even an inexperienced robber out.  Doors are for the most part, decorative and they feign an air of privacy.  A spry child could be hoisted over almost all the doors and/or compound walls. 

Their doors are just another expression of their identity,  as is the pagne they choose or the scarification they have on their body.  This is who I am! 

Colors.   I’m more than a little surprised that my sense of  the beauty that is here took so long to appreciate.  I do long for green fields of grass, big huge Midwest trees, and all the colors and seasons that come with that.  But for now I appreciate more fully the beauty that surrounds me here in Togo.


I often ride in the bush taxi from Tchekpo to Lome seeing the poverty and squalor; the ugliness of it.  The chaos of it.  The grayness of it.  The pollution of it.   But that is on the national road.  Togo can’t be judged by what you see from the bush taxi on the national road. Beyond that, behind the national road where the small to medium size villages are, and in remote areas the colors and shapes become uniquely African and vibrant in their own way.  They become beautiful.  I’m so glad I can see it.