Reflection at the End

I recently went back and read some of my older posts the ones from the early days of my Peace Corps service. It’s strange getting a glimpse of the two years ago me. I feel so incredibly different from that girl who nervously got off that plane in Lome at dusk looking around that small dinky airport with a large dose of awe and a bit of fear for good measure.
 

I was never one of those dreamer Peace Corps volunteers. You know the ones who think they’re going to save the world. I was always pretty realistic in my expectations. Still, despite being very realistic nothing can prepare you for life as a Peace Corps volunteer. It’s not something you get eased into either, really. I landed in an airport and three days later I was shuttled to Tsevie and introduced to Big Momma and told I was to live with her for the next two months. After two months of stage, where you learn language, culture, and even some technical training, you get sworn-in officially becoming a volunteer and then Peace Corps ships you off to your village.

After that you service is what you make of it. To be honest, I had a rough start in village. Not to go into it too much, frankly the villagers didn’t have a lot of faith that I could get anything done for them. I’m not one to give up or back down from a challenge, however, in the beginning there were a lot of bad days. Then after a few months I decided that I was going to move forward and start doing projects even if I had to do it all myself. Slowly over time, people in village saw that I was serious and here to do work.

I feel very proud of all that I’ve accomplished here despite my rocky start. I organized a canton wide Men as Partners teacher formation, I took 10 girls from my village to the regional capital of Atakpame for a conference to prepare them for the professional world and life after high school. With the kind donations of family and friends I was able to buy 300 math, Science, and English textbooks as well as 6 new chalkboards for my high school, and I held a Mother’s Nutrition Fair. I was able to send 10 students and apprentices to Camp Unite and my host mom to the Women's Wellness Conference. I got to facilitate at two Unite camps and even was a trainer for the new volunteers last year. There was also a host of small activities I did over the two years.

Early on I said that if I changed even one person’s life during my time here in Togo would have been worth it. I always hoped that I had but was so thrilled when  two weeks ago one of the girls I brought to Atapkame called out to me in the Asrama market. I had not seen Voctorine since school ended and assumed she was in another town on vacation like many students do. She told me that because of my formation she decided to go to Kara to reach her dream of becoming a female police officer. She thanked me and said that meeting the female officer I invited to the women’s panel gave her the courage to go after her dream.

There is a slogan in Peace Corps that this is “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” I have loved my life here the last two years. Asrama is my home and I love the people in my life here. Saying goodbye is even harder than it was to get on the plane two years ago.

The person who means the most to me here is my host mom. She cracks me up with her unique sense of humor. I can spend hours on her porch just talking. She genuinely loves and cares for me. I know that it’s breaking her heart knowing I’m leaving in a few weeks and it will be very hard to say that final goodbye. After my host mom, my homologue Akpo is probably the next person closest in my life. He’s as I like to call  him a “bandit” and a pretty funny guy. He was a huge help on the school improvement project. He’s an honest decent guy who really seems to want the best for his community. Then there is my wonderful Chef de canton. He’s been a great friend to me for two years and was always willing to muscle people into helping me if need be. There are just so many other people too.

Getting in that car to leave is truly going to be the hardest thing I have ever had to do. These two years are forever in my heart. And while being a Peace Coprs volunteer is anything but easy if I had to go back I would choose to do this all over again. For the rest of my life I can look to this accomplishment and be proud. I’m happy with the person I’ve grown to be here and I’m excited about my next step in life.

To everyone back home who has supported me over the last two years through prayers, the generous donations to my project, letters, emails, facebook posts etc, thank you so much!  My service would have been a lot harder without your love and support.

Special thank you’s:

Dad, you always go above and beyond for me. Thank you for never holding me back and always being willing to keep pushing me forward when I doubt myself.  Thank you for always knowing when I need to talk to you, for the funny daily text messages, letters, and care packages. I love you so much.

Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Paul, thank you for the constant cards and many many care packages.

To everyone who put together  care packages or letters for me: Aunt Ellen and Uncle Russell, Aunt Barbara, Tom and Lauren, Katie and Justin, Maureen Lester, and Claire Owens. Thank you so much for thinking of me and sending me a little taste from America. It meant so much! You guys certainly have made me feel loved.

On to new adventures.....

   

Mother's Nutrition Project



Sadly, I recently completed my last project in Peace Corps. It was a Mother’s Nutrition Project. The last two years I’ve helped every Tuesday I can at weekly baby weighing and vaccinations at the hospital. I’ve seen the under weight babies, and I know how unbalanced the Togolese diet is of starches, oil, salt, and more starches. So, I decided to organize a nutrition project. 

                                                 Everyone Gathering at the  Hospital
 

Ever Tuesday (coinciding with baby weighing day) for three weeks I came down to the hospital and held a quick two hour long formation. Every week we would prepare porridge and sauce enriched with Moringa leaves. We discussed the importance of good nutrition and what it means to eat a balanced meal with the women. We also talked about the wonders of Moringa.  Kimi, the new volunteer from Kame and my host Mom were a big help with my project. 

The Hospital Chef Observing the Formation

 

Morigna is a tree that has leaves heavily enriched in a lot of the basic vitamins and minerals. Additionally, dried leaves are even better. For example, Morigna has 7 times the Vitamin A of an orange. So essentially, this tree can solve a lot of Africa’s malnutrition problems. These women are poor and can’t afford things like meat, vegetables, and eggs. Moringa costs nothing especially since I provided seeds to everyone who came.  

 

                                                                    Moringa

  

                                            Kimi Bagging Moringa Seeds for the Women   

 

This project was a lot of fun and less pressure/stress than the other projects I’ve done. It was small scale and my Dad funded it (thank you Dad!) since I missed the cut off for receiving Peace Corps funding. I really enjoyed cooking for the women and they seemed really into it and posed lots of questions. I hope they take what they learned to heart and start giving their families better food or at least incorporating moringa into all there sauces. This was also my first project that required a translator. The Chef of the hospital volun-told one of his staff for the task. He was great and translated all my French into Adja for the women to understand.

                                  Preparing the Food  (My Wonderful Host Mom to Left)

 

                                                Cooking With Peanut Butter is Messy!

                                   A Mom Checking to see if Her Baby Likes the Porridge
 

It was sort of sad to complete my last ever project in Peace Corps. I was super happy how it turned out. Again, I want to thank my Dad. This amazing project would not have happened without you. Thank you for always being there for me and supporting my service.

                                          Translating Very Loudly From French To Adja.



Stickers

                                                                Kids having fun with stickers.

Lately I’ve been going through my house and cleaning it out. My service here in Togo ends in October so I have two years of accumulated stuff I need to get rid of and sort out. This means I’ve been tossing a lot of crap. What do I do with my trash? Well there isn’t any trash collection in my village so I pay my host brother to take care of it. I place my garbage in a plastic bag and then leave it on my porch and he goes though it and looks for items that may be of use and then burns the rest. I don’t know how many times over the last two years I’ve left my house and seen a child playing with something I threw away. That empty can of spices? Well now it  is transformed into a child’s toy car.

About a week ago, I was leaving my house to walk to the center of the village to buy tomato paste and phone credit when I see a strange site over by my host family’s house. There are about six half naked children covered head to foot in stickers. I laugh and walk over to where my host mom is watching the kids apply the small multi-colored smiley faces. Apparently somewhere in my garbage were some sheets of stickers I inadvertantly tossed.

I explain to my host mom that what the kids were wearing are called stickers. She asked what they were for, and the only response I could think of was that they are for the amusement of children. I couldn’t pass up the chance to take a few photos of this moment as all the kids looked pretty adorable and quite amused. 

Book Project Update

So I’m finally giving an update for my school improvement project. First and foremost, thank you to everyone who donated and all that gave kind words, prayers and encouragement to make this project possible. I also want to thank my Dad who spent countless hours calling and emailing friends and family to help advocate for my project. I am so grateful to Saint Mary's Star of the Sea School in Hampton, Virginia for their fund raiser,  the Hampton "Daily Press" and George Mason University "Broadside" for writing articles which greatly helped our fundraising efforts.

 

With the completion of my Take Our Daughters to Work (TODTW) formation I could finally receive the funds for the improvement project. Last week I went down to Lome to pick up all the books we ordered and travel with them in a car back to village. I arrived at the Lycee and everyone gathered around to get the first look at the shiny brand new books and to ooh and aah over them. My homologue, Akpo, had already made a trip down to Lome to purchase the wood for the new chalkboards as well as the chalkboard paint and brushes. We were all ready to get this project going.

 

The following day we organized for all the kids to come after school to help with all the work. The first kids to arrive were the girls I brought to TODTW and I quickly put them to use writing thank you notes to our wonderful donors. I just received the donor list once our  financial goal was reached.  I know some donors were anonymous so they will never get one of these thank you notes but they are in our hearts forever. It was important that the students understood that it was people in America who gave the money that allowed us to buy these books and that we should thank them. So we worked on that while waiting for everyone else to arrive.

(Girls working on Thank You notes for donors)

Kids trickled in slowly as did teachers. Soon there were students everywhere. The boys all had hoes and were removing weeds from the school compound while girls arrived with brooms to clean out the classrooms. Then the chalkboards and the book cover material arrived and the fun began.

We spent several hours painting the boards and cutting up the material to cover the books. I spent most of the time running back and forth taking as many pictures as possible and helping the teachers to supervise. Everyone had a lot of fun and I never saw so many smiles.

(girls working on sweeping out the classrooms)

(some Lycee boys transporting the wood for the new chalkboards)

(painting the chalkboards. My homologue, Akpo, is the guy in the plaid shirt)

(Me helping to paint the chalkboards . . . okay I painted for two minutes before passing the brush to a student and went back to taking pictures)

(girls looking through the new books)

(Covering books)

A few days later I roped the girls from my group to come again and help me and Akpo give serial number to each of the books. Now all that’s left is for the carpenter to finish building the new chalkboard stands. I’m so happy the students have these resources. Good chalkboards, textbook, and dictionaries will go a long way to improving their education.

Also the carpenters have finished making about half of the new desks and repairing the old ones. We were also able to provide a world globe for the lycee.

(Working on giving the books serial numbers)

One of the new desks!

 

New Globe For Geography

                                                     Painting the Existing Boards

Blackboard

                                                             Last Day of Project

                                                 One of The New Portable Blackboards  
 

                                        Thank You! Or in local language of Adja, Akpelo!

   

Take Our Daughters to Work

A few months ago I organized a formation called Take Our Daughters to Work. Early on in my service I knew I wanted to do this project because I believe in the concept and I feel that it would be a wonderful opportunity for the girls of my community. I selected ten girls who go to my High School and are at the top of their class and brought them out of the village to the regional capital,  Atapkame.  

The Girls From My Village and Mama

 

The point of Take Our Daughters to Work is provide girls  the skills to bridge from High School on to University successfully. Additionally, the girls receive the tools to help them enter the workforce. 
 

Class Time

 

At the formation, we discussed the usual topics such as importance of girls education, gender inequality, self-confidence, time and money management, and health. Also we had sessions on how to write a resume, practice job interviews, and choosing careers. The girls got to visit the Atapkame Hospital and speak to a female doctor and we also went for a visit to the Red Cross.
 

At the Internet Cafe

 

One of my favorite moments of the formation was when we went to an internet café and the girls got to work on a computer for the first time ever. I was so impressed with how fast they picked up typing and using the mouse.

Finally, I organized for them a panel of professional women to come and tell their stories and how they became successful in their fields to encourage them. I invited a nurse, decorated female officer, and a woman who is the head of an NGO.

                                                                 Womens Panel

I hope that this formation and what they learned and saw becomes the flicker of hope for their futures. On the second day we asked them what they wanted to do after High School. I heard a lot nurses/doctors as a responses, but one girl answered she was going to be an officer. During the women’s panel I saw her eyes light up when she saw the female officer I had invited. When the time for questions came she was the first to stand eager to ask questions of, as I later learned, the first female officer she had ever seen. Moments like that are why I joined the Peace Corps 

Goofy Picture

 

Hospital Field Trip

 

                                                               The Formateurs_-A Great Team

Togo From a Volunteers Dad's Perspective!

Jennifer asked me to write about my time during my recent visit to Togo. Here goes:

 

Arriving in Lome

I have traveled to many countries over the years but I must admit that approaching the airport in Lome, Togo was the most anxious I probably ever have been as  I would be finally seeing my lovely daughter Jennifer for the first time in 15 months.  Once clearing the bureaucracy of the airport authorities (quite an adventure in itself) I got to hug my Jennifer. It was a wonderful feeling for a very proud Dad. I think the only thing that will top that is when I welcome her home.

My traditional role was reversed as Jennifer guided me through the airport confusion shooing away hawkers until we got to the area where the “bush taxis” were. It was fun for me to watch the surprised drivers when they realized they were not dealing with two rubes from the USA. Me being the only rube kept quiet as I watched the seasoned Peace Corps volunteer fight for every last CFA (Togolese currency) for a ride to the hotel. I could not believe my eyes as I watched the accumulation of 15 months worth of street smarts that transformed my “formerly shy” kid into a confident outgoing woman. Wow!

We spent the night in a hotel that was close to the Peace Corps office. Jen was trying to save me a few bucks as this was not exactly a 5 star hotel. Maybe a 0.5 star hotel but nevertheless it was an adventure and an insight to a Peace Corps volunteers circumstances. The following morning we ventured out onto the red dirt road and visited the Peace Corps office. Being so close to Christmas there were few staff and only a couple of Jen’s fellow volunteers. Everyone was most welcoming! 

Aflao Border

Peace Corps Office Lome

 

Peace Corps Office Lome


Ghana Retreat

After we exchanged some money we headed to the Aflao border crossing where we walked into Ghana. We hired a car to take us to a beach resort I had reserved. We spent a few days where Jen got to enjoy hot baths, great food, swimming, AC, TV, electricity, internet and a visit to the mall complete with a movie, popcorn and some kind of froufrou  coffee  drink. It was a pleasure seeing her so content. I am not sure how the rest of Ghana is developed but Accra was quite nice. Jennifer kept forgetting and engaged people in French although they speak English there. We talked for hours as there was so much catching up to do.

                                                       Rest and Relaxation in Ghana

Asrama Bound

We spent several days in Asrama village, Jen’s home in Togo. I visited the school and hospital she works at,  had a coke in her “buvette”, waved, and salulated her neighbors, experienced the chaos of the market-place and traveled the paths my Peace Corps Volunteer daughter walks every day, a small but enlightening (sometimes frightening) glimpse of what Jen’s life is like as a villager. It was exciting, and quite an insight in how rough these volunteers have it serving their country this way. I could write paragraphs about all I saw and felt but I thought I would concentrate on one day in Asrama, “Christmas 2012”. 

                                  Bing Crosby, Fufu, Toofan and Snow Flakes

Christmas Day started with Jen playing Bing Crosby’s White Christmas on her solar powered net book as she arranged the Christmas Crib on her cluttered table. We exchanged gifts and headed out to Saint Therese of the Little Flower Church, the biggest building around. We went to the early mass that was in the local language of Adja. It was quite enjoyable watching all the people wearing their colorful pagne clothes and listening to the drums as together we celebrated Christ’s birth. They were used to seeing Jennifer by now but I was quite the novelty and when it came time for the traditional hand shake I shook them all.  Jen had a traditional shirt made for me in Christmas colors that matched her dress. Everyone thought it was “cool” that I wore pagne!

We had spent some time with the chief of Asrama on Christmas Eve where we exchanged stories about America, Africa and Jennifer. He expressed to me how appreciative he and the people of Asrama are that Jennifer was there. On his insistence we were to spend Christmas morning with him. When we arrived we were escorted to a table where there was a Togolese meal of fufu and a variety of other foods that I really didn’t know what to do with; so I just followed Jen’s lead.  Fufu is a Togolese staple of pounded yams served with sauces. It couldn’t get any fresher as I watched the women pound the yams with big wooden sticks just a few feet away.

There were several local officials at the table that the chief had invited for me to meet. After we ate he told them that they were invited to witness a love a father has for a daughter. He explained how far I had traveled to see Jen because of the value I placed in her. “We must place the same value in our daughters” he said. I must admit I teared up as I listened to these words through Jen’s translation. It was quite moving and I understood about the wisdom that the chief had and why Jennifer admires him so much. It was he who wanted a volunteer there specifically in girls education and empowerment.  He expressed how pleased he was with Jennifer’s accomplishments. I had no idea that by my simple presence would add to Jennifer’s work in Asrama.

After that we spent the day with Jennifer’s next door neighbors, her homologue Akpo and her host family. They really are family in that they look after Jennifer and make sure she is okay. She is their daughter and they are her Mama and Papa. After meeting Adjo Titi and  Boko Kami (Mama and Papa) and their children, I truly sleep better at night knowing they are next door to Jen. We didn’t communicate through words very well but it was easily understood that we shared a common love for Jen. I now understand what  Jennifer means when she tells me how much she learns from the villagers.

That night,   Jennifer cooked an American meal for everyone that consisted mainly of the many chickens that were gifted to us (a truly magnificent gift in the Togolese culture). Papa and the girls killed and cleaned the chickens. The whole neighborhood showed up and there was singing and dancing late into the night. We learned traditional African dances and Jen taught everyone the Macarena. I had brought a bunch of candy canes and it was quite a hoot watching these festivities. Jen had a small Christmas tree lit with battery lights out in the yard and we listened to festive African music mainly consisting of  Togolese  pop star Toofan.

It was a wonderful day that was topped off by a late night trip to the latrine and a cool bucket bath under the night sky. After stubbing my toe and tripping over Jen’s faithful companion “Swarley” the dog I managed to get under the mosquito net utilizing a solar light bulb. As I was drifting off to sleep I could see the decorative snowflakes that Jennifer made and hung all over the walls of her tiny house in preparation for my Christmas visit. The snowflakes completed our day. It was a day better than Currier and Ives could have imagined. For all the snow in Jen’s house man it was hot! I slept well.

Snowflakes Jen Made for Christmas

Mama and Papa

Well

Market

Church

Jen and I with the Chief of Asrama

                                                                        Christmas Night

Tree

 

Woman Pounding Fufu

 

Christmas Morning

 

Christmas Night

 

 

                           Jen Outside the Compound Kitchen With Her Host Family and Swarley

 

Travelling Through Togo and Beyond

From Asrama we went on to the regional capital Atakpame, next  to Kpalime and finally  back to Lome. Along the journey utilizing various modes of sketchy transportation on roads that looked like they were recently carpet bombed we visited  the regional Peace Corps "maison" , learned how to make batik ( fabric with colorful designs) with a local artisan, and best of all got to meet and talk to other volunteers.

In Atakpame we met up with some close friends of Jen,  Rebecca and David. We  all made this trek together. It was great being with them and experiencing Togo, "somewhat" volunteer style. I say somewhat because we found hotels that had AC and hired bush taxis just for us and several other luxuries volunteers can rarely afford to splurge on.  It was during this part  of the trip I saw some of the negative sides of Togo which consists  mainly of the constant badgering of the female volunteers that range from unwanted attention to downright rudeness. It was not  prevalent in the village but most noticeable during our travels. The female volunteers have many coping mechanisms and handle it well but It  certainly pissed me off.  Of course I was compelled to  lecture Jennifer on these subjects that she was sadly most familiar with.

 In Lome, we experienced the grand market got to meet with the Peace Corps staff and more volunteers. We also spent some time and had a nice conversation with Miss Rose, Jennifer's APCD. After that we flew out to  Tanzania and experienced a safari that was beyond words and best expressed through pictures of which we took many. A safari in Tanzania should be on everyone's bucket list.

Upon arrival back in Togo Jen and I spent one more day together just hanging out anticipating my departure. Jen worked on a video presentation for the kids at her old elementary school, Saint Mary's. A friend of Jennifer's, Alphonse came down from Notse and we had a great lunch together. It helped break up a tough day. Later on we  parted at the airport and I headed back to the states and Jennifer back to her village. It was a difficult good-bye but on the bright side it was one more milestone until I will be at the airport again this time me greeting Jen and helping her navigate her way in  the USA.

Rebecca, Jen and David

Me Supervising Car Repairs

Making Batik

 

 

Tanzanian Safari

 

 

Tanzanian Safari

 

 

                                                                   Tanzanian Safari

                                                                       Tanzanian Safari

Impressions

1. Peace Corps volunteers demonstrate the best of the USA for little monetary cost.
2. The sacrifice Peace Corps volunteers make for their country and Togo is significant.
3. Through Jennifer's immersion into the Togolese culture,  the knowledge and understanding she and her colleagues will  bring back is invaluable for our true understanding of the world.
4.  Female volunteer's service is much more difficult than their male counterparts.
5. As a nation, we should appreciate their service more!
6. I would hire a volunteer because if they can handle this they can handle most anything.
7. Jennifer is my hero.