More Than Just A Cultural Exchange

My grandmother, Celeste Strong, recently sent me a letter to which she posed several questions pertaining to PCV work—and one question took precedence over all.

                       

                        “Do you have to be on call at certain times or are you on duty 24 hours a day?”

The former US Ambassador to Togo gave the answer to this question my first week in country: We are technically on duty 24/7. We are essentially US representatives, US (petits) ambassadors.

We may not be educating our communities 24/7—we need sleep like everyone else—but we make un grand effort to shine a positive light on America and it’s often hard work. But what do we do really? Or more importantly what do I do, right?!

I’m quite certain there are some curious cats that would like to know about my work activities in country (and outside). Am I wrong? I sure hope not!

So here’s what I’ve been doing:

WORLD MAP PROJECT

With my site mate Katy Todd, I worked with a small group of elementary students at EPP Worgou in Dapaong and painted a large world map on an outside wall of the school.

WELL-BEING CONFERENCE IN SAGBIEBOU

Originally organized by a CHAP PCV in 2011, the village decided to make this conference annual (SUSTAINABILITY!) and requested PCVs and HCNs to present a topic of their choice. Since my Togolese counterpart presented on family planning methods and CHAP PCV Maggie McRae did condom demonstrations, I focused on the benefits of family planning. More specifically, I explained the ways in which a smaller family size benefits everyone, more resources for each member of the family—food, money, clothes, housing, water, etc.

WOMEN’S GROUP IN DAPAONG

Nutrition. I love it; I teach it; and I live it. In June and July, I led a nutrition talk with a women’s group in Nassablé, Dapaong. Most of the women are in their 50s or late 60s, thus I discussed the importance of calcium, low-sodium intake, hydration (especially during hot season), etc. They also requested a talk on what qualifies as a balanced diet.

CHAP TOOLKIT REVISION 2012

Each program sector has a book complete with a plethora of resources for PCVs to use (if they so desire) at post. An editorial team of six PCVs (including one PCVL) revised the toolkit for the new CHAP trainees who arrived this month.

FOOD SECURITY TASK FORCE (FSTF)

An increasing population, environmental degradation, and gender disparities have led to the current food security crisis in Togo. There are seven members of FSTF, which include PCVs from all four sectors. Each member has his own role, and I work on public relations and communication.

FOOD SECURITY SUMMIT 2012 (THE GAMBIA)

EAFS PCV Benjamin Bogardus and I recently had the opportunity to network and exchange information at the Food Security Summit in Banjul, The Gambia with PCVs and staff from eight other West Africa Food Security Partnership (WAFSP) countries: Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Mali. Through sessions and informal exchanges, we learned about the food security activities happening in other countries and formed some recommendations for moving forward in Togo.

MID-SERVICE CONFERENCE

That’s right. Halfway there! This conference was an excellent opportunity for PCVs from each sector, i.e. EAFS, CHAP, GEE and SED, to showcase their activities in a three-day work fair. It also gave PCVs a chance to refine their skills.

SITE DEVELOPMENT IN PANA (SAVANNAH)

Proper site development is crucial before the arrival of a PCV. If a community is seriously committed to receive a PCV—which entails a community-donated house for the PCV that also meets PC requirements—then the site is accepted. PCVs often help APCDs with site development and I helped with the site development of a village near Dapaong.

CAMP ECO-ACTION

Togo has many camps, however, this environmental camp had its début this July. I was a counselor for girls’ week. I led informative lectures/trainings on nutrition, composting, improved cook stoves, and soy bread.  

HOUSE MANAGER OF A WORKSTATION

There are two workstations in Togo: one in Atakpamé (Plateau) and the other in Dapaong (Savannah). I am the new house manager for the Dapaong workstation. Yay!

AGRICULTURAL TRADE FAIR 2012

Economic development in Togo largely depends on improving sustenance farming and agricultural information exchange. This fair gives individual farmers and agricultural producers a venue to showcase locally produced products and open new marketing and networking opportunities. I am a scout for the fair.

Well, that's what been happening chez moi. Next blog will include more information on the Food Security Summit. 

Until next time...  

Food Security Summit 2012

As you might have read on Facebook approximately one month ago, I am invited to attend the West African Food Security Summit in The Gambia. 

The invitation was surreal to say the least, but now that the date is quickly approaching I thought you'd like to know a few specifics. Yes?

When:

July 2 - 6.

Summit Goal:

Assemble PCVs and Food Security Points of Contact to West Africa Food Security Summit in order to encourage, train and equip them to effectively improve regional food security and successfully engage in the West African Food Security Partnership.

Objectives:

1. Inform PCVs on the context, function and components of the West Africa Food Security Partnership.
2. Train PCVs on Monitoring & Evaluation, Communication, Branding & Marketing, and Environmental Impact Analysis.
3. Disfunction, creation, roles and management of PCV Food Security Task Force.
4. Train and equip PCVs to create or further strengthen a national PCV Food Security Task Force in their respective countries.
5. Brainstorm and facilitate linkages between countries in order to benefit from the region approach's synergies and complementarities. Discuss communication needs and develop conceptual solutions.

What will I do?

With my colleague, Benjamin Bogardus, I will do a 15-minute presentation on Togo (e.g. geography, demographics, key challenges); on Togo's food security program/activities and achievements; and on food security-related technologies or techniques used in your country by PCVs. 

Where?

For the safety of myself and others, I will not disclose the location of the summit. For friends and family members, please send a request for further information. 

I will, however, inform you that I'll leave Lome on Friday, June 29 to Cotonou, Benin. 

Looking forward to uploading pictures and sharing stories!

Wish me luck.

One Down, One TO GO: Hard to ignore the cravings

My one-year anniversary in country is today. Needless to say, in the last couple of days, cravings and fantasies occupy the majority of my thoughts–e.g. takeout (or delivery), bacon, hot running water, everything bagel with veggie-light cream cheese, good coffee, Subway (Spicy Italian foot-long sub on Italian herbs and cheese bread), high-healed shoes, movie theaters, real Chinese food, new music, my old wardrobe, cereal other than Corn Flakes, etc.

Really, fantasizing and craving the little things from home is inevitable no matter how long you’ve been away. I find food cravings to be quite random, surprising if you will. Chez nous, some people may stick up their noses at JIF peanut butter, Idahoan instant mashed potatoes and Kraft macaroni and cheese, but here… receiving packages filled with n’importe quoi “is like opening presents on Christmas Day,” says Emily Goldsmith (NRM PCV).

Pre-PCVs may repulse at the thought of consuming processed foods stateside, but here…there’s no shame in any consumption of JELL-O, Oreos, Crystal Light drink mix packets, instant pudding, tuna in a can, pizza crust mix (just add water), etc.

“JELL-O? Who eats JELL-O here?!” asks PCV Maggie Person.

As I bow my head and clench my teeth I respond, “Um, I do.” [I have a fridge.]

“I went through a pound of Velveeta in less than a week. My parents were disgusted,” adds Goldsmith.

We do what we have to do to remain in country. We do what we have to do to stay sane—sometimes that entails increasing our processed-food intake; sometimes that entails major movie marathons; sometimes than entails reading month-old gossip magazines; sometimes that entails dance parties with questionable dance moves; sometimes yoga or morning runs are the answers to our prayers; and sometimes speaking to locals in English is THE stress reliever (Ha You can’t understand me. Sucker!).

Although I highly doubt these cravings will subside in my next and last year in Togo—if anything I’ll have even more—this year sure flew by and I’m ecstatic to blaze through the next 12 months with or without JELL-O.

PS – Not everything we’re gifted is amazing. Although it was fun to design, this gingerbread cookie was gross. We were still grateful because it gave us something different to do. So thank you!

What makes me smile in Togo?

For whatever reason, friends and family question whether or not I am happy in Togo. Yes, The Land of The Free has a great deal to offer: equality among men and women, reliable electricity, wireless Internet (Oh how I want that!), coffee shops, Häagen-Dazs Five ice cream (lemon flavor), and bratwursts. Although after almost a year of living in Togo—even without its NYC-style hot dog stands and McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches (Judge all you want! I don’t care.)—it still manages to make me smile. The happy-or-not inquiry is usually followed by, “I am not unhappy.”  And it is the truth. Peace Corps Togo is an experience for which I asked. Peace Corps Togo, though at times quite a challenge (culturally, physically and intellectually), is unlike anything else I have ever come across in all of my travels. And that, friends and family, makes me happy.

There are, of course, other little Togolese idiosyncrasies that either prompts a smile, a mini surge of laughter, or a snicker with a headshake.

So what makes me smile?

• The sound of my neighbor’s wife sweeping the compound outside my house early in the morning
• The scenery

Photo Cred: Katy Todd

• Waking up to “Lããfie!” “Lããfie!” “Lããfie!” from the street, which is simply women and men greeting one another quickly on their way to work
• Biking around the city—working in a sense—and someone yells, “Yendoutien!” I turn my head and slow down to see who has called my name and realize a friend wants me to sit and drink tchakpa. The best is when this happens before noon
• Togolese fashion sense and older women

Photo Cred: Katy Todd

• Passing donkeys on the street while biking
• Taxi-motorcycle drivers sleeping horizontally on their bikes (anytime of the day)
• Truck drivers taking naps under semis on the highway because it is the only place with shade
• Eating spicy spaghetti at 8am
• Taking naps on the floor 

• Having conversations with people while biking on the street
• An older woman at the market who sells only grapefruit and limes—we greet one another with the standard greeting but she is so kindhearted and she gives me great deals on grapefruit
• Achu, my site mate’s dog, is very strange (but cute) and whines every time I see him even if it’s only been 24 hours since I last saw him
• Women offering their sons to me for marriage
• Passed out PCVs from either too much sun, too much work or too much…  

• People telling me I am too old (at 25) not to be married
• Seeing all the items motorcycle drivers attach to their motorcycles

Photo Cred: Katy Todd

Needless to say these are not the only tidbits of Togo that make me grin from ear to ear…just happens often enough to make me remember.

Inevitably I will add to this list once more spring to mind, or, that is, the next time I smile.

Until next time…

Bike Accident in Togo

Some days you just never know what will happen. And later, perhaps you wonder if you had done things differently—left your house a little later (or earlier), taken other means of transportation, encountered different people—you might have avoided an accident. (Ever seen Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow? Great movie.)

Yesterday was one of those days. Yesterday, a motorcycle hit another motorcycle and the latter hit me while I was biking. Luckily, I was wearing my helmet—as PCVs should. And luckily, only my left side received injuries, i.e. a large bruise on my thigh, a mini bruise on my hip, scratches and a couple deep gashes on my arm and foot.

Why was I biking? I needed to buy mangoes, avocadoes and tomatoes from the market. I also wanted to buy carrots but none of the carrot mamas were out selling—GIRL CAN’T GET A BREAK! Or is carrot season ending? L

I first thought I lucked out because I was just leaving the market when tout à coup a moto in front of me decided to turn around without looking behind him and I almost T-boned him—not that I really would have done any damage. What the heck, man?! Shortly there after, while biking on the main road the same moto passed me and the idiot said, “Pardonnez-moi.” Yes, thanks for almost killing me, you jerk. But, apology accepted.

About 200 yards later, the fun really began. I don’t really understand how it happened. Perhaps moto man #1 was drunk, or maybe he just doesn’t know how to drive—this is the case more often than not. But the handle of moto man #2 hit my bike handle just enough and caused me to tip over and slide on my left side a few feet.  Moto man #2 fell just the same but the damage to his moto was far worse than my bike. Although he had fewer scratches, so I could give two shits about his moto. Ha!

People were nice and helped me up, asked if I was okay, and examined my bike for any irreparable damages. At first, I was fine; I was more pissed off than anything else. So I got on my bike and continued home to take care of my wounds. Didn’t want any infections!!!! On my return trip, things changed…

I almost got home when I started felling a little light-headed, begun to pedal slowly, and the countryside had a grey and white overtone. It was then I decided it was time to pull over. I sat on the side of the road for a bit, breathed slowly, calmed my nerves, and then I called my neighbor to come help me get home.

Long story short, I’m fine. I immediately hopped in the shower, rinsed off my wounds, applied triple antibiotic cream where it was needed, slapped on (not really) a few Band-Aids, and made some juice to ease the shock (sugar helps).

What did I learn?

• ·      There’s a reason helmets were invented.
• ·      Men, too, do not know how to drive, so don’t generalize and say only women are horrible drivers.   
• ·      I’m lucky there weren’t any serious injuries.
• ·      Shit happens and it’s not really Togo’s fault. Ha ha.

      Want to see the battle scars?? Continue below.

Premier Mai

Christophe DJIKOUTIKE, my Togolese counterpart, is one of the few people I’ve met in Dapaong who just gets it. He fully understands Peace Corps Volunteers are not sent to cities and villages to give sizeable donations, to give cadeaux similar to those millions have received on The Oprah Show, etc. He gets that we are here to educate, to exchange cultural ideas and ideals, and to hopefully improve life in Togo.

At 7:54am, I received a text from Christophe. He officially invited Katy and I to celebrate le Premier Mai with he and his wife Martine—a woman half his age and twice his size. Niiiiiiiiice, Christophe. Nice.

At first I was hesitant to accept. Katy and I had already accepted two other invitations and we knew very well that such invitations would include food, drinks and dancing. Accepting the invitation was an absolute confirmation that our stomachs would despise us by the end of the day. End of the day??? No. That’s not correct. By the end of the afternoon!!!!

So what did we do? We accepted. Boom.

Thank goodness I ate a hand full of mixed nuts and a mango for breakfast!!

ROUND ONE:

Katy and I arrived at Christophe’s house shortly after 11. Christophe was out in search of la soupe de bon mil (a.k.a. good tchakpa), so Katy and I sat outside, stared off into space and occasionally came back to reality to admire the art of pounding yams. Fufu was on the menu. Score!

So…yes, we ate fufu with a tomato sauce and beef. I often enjoy dining chez Christophe because in addition to everything else he gets, he is fully aware of our disgust to stomach lining. Or is that just me?

I had nearly finished my plate when Christophe said, “Oh, il faut ajouter.” (Oh, it’s important to add.) Ummm…Christophe. I did tell you we had another lunch scheduled with Katy’s homologue. Did he listen? Nope!  Fortunately, he gets a kick out of my sassy personality. So when I took the serving spoon from his hand and cut Katy’s second helping of fufu in half to split between us he just smiled.

Of course we couldn’t leave his house without taking a pitcher of tchakpa!!! I guess we were just hoping we could.

ROUND TWO:

We wanted to walk off some of our food before our second date, with Katy’s homologue. That, however, did not happen. First, we were so full we could barely breathe let alone walk a mile. Second, we were running a little late. Pfpfpfpf…l’heure africaine…we’re never late.

So we took motos. Before mounting the moto, my friend Robert walked up to say and confirm our date later. We confirmed and then told him we left tchakpa on Katy’s porch and he was welcome to take it and share with others. Little did we know…

Katy and I arrived at our second destination with no desire to continue consuming liquids and food. But what were we to do? Say no. Yeah, that would have gone over well!

We ate soup—but really it was tomato sauce—spaghetti and enough meat to fulfill my protein intake for the week. We struggled. I finished slightly more than half my plate but wanted to vomit. That was it. I was done. At least for an hour.

 Before Round Three, we decided to walk (instead of taking motos) back to Katy’s house. No doubt I was waddling either like a penguin or a pregnant woman in her third trimester.

The hour we had to rinse off and GO HORIZONTAL (i.e. lie on a mat) was sufficient enough. Well, kind of.

ROUND THREE:

Since our rendezvous was scheduled for 16h, we figured food might not be involved. Damn it. We were so wrong.

We met our favorite seamstress at Bar Obama. That’s right. Obama!

As soon as we walked up to the table, it was unmistakable…plates, cutlery and giant cooler. They waited to eat with us. Balls!

Couscous, chicken and beer. Need I write more? No.

Following the day’s pattern, we ate and we drank, but this time we danced. Togolese always get a kick out of foreigners doing the Moba dance. Of course, I didn’t expect everyone at the bar to stare at me while I danced. And somewhere in the middle of all the dancing I got a marriage proposal from a man whose wife sat right next to him and she accepted me too. Yikes!

I could write more, but just enjoy the photos below (Give me a couple of days. Internet is pretty terrible today.). It was a good day. We had some laughs, we ate lot, and we drank a lot. Reminded me of Thanksgiving.

Until next time…J

Conference in Sagbiebou, Savanes

Last year, PCV Superstar Lizzy Dupont planed, organized and directed a two-day conference – Conférence pour Mieux Vivre dans Notre Communauté – in her village. The conference, even though a success, exhausted Lizzy and she had no intention of leading it again. Inspired by Lizzy’s efforts and the benefits of the 2011 conference, people in her community decided to make it annual with or without Lizzy. Whoa. SUSTAINABILITY!

And like all PCVs in Togo, I received an invitation to present at this year’s conference on April 28.

Although each presenter had the right to choose his or her topic, Lizzy kindly requested that I present on family planning; my homologue to explain methods of contraception; and PCV Maggie McRae to demonstrate proper utilization of condoms. We accepted.

Most Togolese adults have at least heard of family planning – the words, the definition or the importance. At the conference, I focused my presentation on the future, the advantages of family planning (i.e. fewer children equals more resources for each family member). Americans often consider the future, set goals, have dreams, etc. Togolese, in contrast, seldom mull over the future and it’s a setback. The average Togolese take each day one day at a time. Thankfully, this mentality is slowly beginning to change. More and more high school students dream, even plan on attending university after graduation. Moreover, recently wedded couples no longer desire a family complete with 10+ children. Yes, some might comprehend the importance of family planning, but regular presentations and trainings are imperative. Similar to Togolese education, repetition is key to memorization.

We [Maggie, my homologue, a Togolese volunteer and I] left Dapaong early afternoon and headed south on a bush taxi. Conference organizers had called both Maggie and I the day before and urged us to arrive at the school in Sagbiebou before 5pm. Why? Because each presenter was assigned to a host family in village and it’s proper to arrive before dark.

This was when the fun began.

Spending the night Chez No Clue often reminds me of boarding blind at university. You must know what I mean. Those awkward first days of discovering one another’s quirks, habits, personalities (multiple for some) and etiquettes…ring any bells?? Well in a foreign country, it’s fairly similar only it’s A LOT more awkward—especially if your stay doesn’t exceed 24 hours.

Surprisingly, I’ve become accustomed to uncomfortable situations and random encounters. I suppose I have Togo to thank. Thank you Togo! Friday, April 27 was just another day, another random yet amusing experience.

We arrived at the school in Sagbiebou shortly before 5pm. After having been told the family assigned to host me, a guide led me to the house in BFE. It was very considerate of the organizers to guide presenters to their designated families. Can’t imagine anything more painful than to walk up to a house and say to the owners “Hello, I’m sleeping here tonight.”

I stayed with the village pastor, Pasteur KOMBATE, although I don’t think I actually met him. I spoke to his wife mostly. She was sweet and lovely, a classic African big mama. And she was Moba! For what limited Moba I know, she got a kick out of it.

After first introductions – How is your family? Children? Husband? Work? Health? – the mom offered me a chair. I sat and stared off into space for several minutes while the family prepared my room. It’s not unusual for a family to offer up an entire room, even their own bedroom for guests, especially Caucasian guests. 

To my surprise, the room had a bed and a chair. Nice! They also sprayed some sort of perfume in the room. I couldn’t help but wonder what scent they hoped to cover up. Ah well. Shortly there after, I set my personal belongings on the bed and returned to my chair outside and watched. If you’re not a people watcher, don’t come to Africa. It’s not only an art but also life! What did I watch? Everything.

Since it rained early that day, I watched as one daughter scoop out stagnant water from holes in the compound floor. I gaped at the beautifully built mud houses, terrains made of compacted red gravel and large tree silhouettes. I also studied the animals in the compound. Well, I counted them first. Times like these, you’ve got to be a self-entertainer. Maggie named all the animals she saw in her host family’s compound. I counted mine. I first saw five chickens. Then I noticed one goat, a dog, two guinea fowls and four pigs.

When all you’ve got is time to think – since the family doesn’t talk to you – you often ask yourself a plethora of questions. These questions commonly arise when someone looks at you, smiles or laughs, but doesn’t speak.

What questions?

Do they think they’re special because a white person is sleeping in their house? Do they like my bright green pagne pants? Are they confused because I speak French, but I am reading an English-language magazine? Are they wondering why I am writing on this magazine? Why are they staring at my toe ring? Do they also believe that anklets on a right ankle mean a woman is single? Is she married? (Why? You going to offer your 10-year-old son to me?) Does she eat African food? (I sure do!)

A DUCK! Boom. Any more animals?

While I was unaware of the dinner menu, I was surely aware of the dinner plan. That is, the mother’s plan for me to eat alone at a clothed table with separate cutlery and separate portions.

Although she had no intention of dining with me, I insisted. She smiled, laughed and said she would join me after she fed her children.

When she finally sat down at the table, I had already finished one-and-a-half portions of spaghetti with tomato sauce. I stared at my empty plate for a minute before I gave in and added another half helping to ensure we ate together. Naturally, two helpings of spaghetti weren’t enough. She insisted I eat more. I made a sound, which translated into English meant “Holy balls, Mom, I’m full!”  Nevertheless, I obliged. In addition to the THIRD HELPING of spaghetti, she ordered me to eat the last sardine. I respectfully refused and told her I already ate one and she must eat the other. It’s only fair, right? So what did she do? She took off a sliver (amounting to a tablespoon) and said I must eat the rest. I laughed, shook my head, removed my plate from the table, and said I wouldn’t finish unless she took it all.

And so she did. Ha ha. Sucker! Needless to say, she officially liked me after the battle over who eats the last sardine.

The night got a little exciting after dinner. A storm hit. A torrential downpour mixed with violent winds nearly removed the tin roof. As I sat with the family indoors, rainwater sporadically dripped on me. Pfpfpfpfpf. I didn’t mind at all because the storm cooled the air.

After the storm mellowed, I decided it was time for bed. It was time in part because I was exhausted and in part because no electricity equals early to bed. Done.

The next morning I woke up crossed. I was angry because the storm’s cool breeze didn’t last the entire night and thus I woke up several times drenched in sweat. But mostly, I was irritated and confused as to why nobody killed the dog that barked outside the house from 10pm until 4:30am. WTF. Togolese are accustomed to sleeping through anything and everything, but come on! It was ridiculous.

Although the dark circles and bags under my eyes were evident, I told the mom I slept well. For breakfast, she made me coffee (How did she know?!?!) and placed a whole baguette (pain sucré) next to the cup. The coffee tasted like watered-down skim milk with coffee flavoring, but it was drinkable. I might have been exhausted, but the family was so pleasant I just couldn’t bring myself to show the fatigue.

The day of the conference was a bit crazy. Although my booth was informative, most spectators seemed to be interested in contraceptive methods and the condom demonstration.

For lunch, all presenters were ushered to the “reception hall” where Maggie and I were invited to sit next to the prefect. Oh yes, we are THAT important. Maggie sat next to me and I sat next to gendarmes with AK-47s. “Hi…is that on safety?!”

Anything else??

No, not really. Overall I think the conference went well. There seemed to be too many children and not enough adults at the event.

I got a certificate. Yay!

We left for our return trip to Dapaong once the conference ended at 4pm.

Hope you enjoyed this story.

Until next time…J