Mood:
lazyTopic: Immersion
Wow.
a lot has happened, I will share:
After arriving in Kara, I think it's safe to say we all had grand ideas despite habitually reassuring each other that we came with completely open minds. The first morning, Ted and I got up at 5am and ran. We have not run since.
We worked diligently on converting an ODOT site assessment form into an ETHOS site assessment form. This would become the basis of our work here in Togo as well as serve as a guideline on how to effectively assess future ETHOS sites. We are not only paving the way here in Togo, but also for the ETHOS program to grow through means of a systematic guide to assessing new sites.
That night, the brothers included us in their annual dinner to celebrate the end of a good school year and the commencement of their 'vacation season’—A symbolic, one last get-together. We ate at the House of Congress. Each plate was about 4,000 FCFAs a piece not including drinks. Approx 450 FCFAs = $1 (This was an expensive meal).
In the subsequent days we took a few tours of Kara and the surrounding area. We met Leopold who is friends with Father Hugo and owns “Gallarie D’Art”. We met a couple other small shop owners and friends of the brothers. We met all the brothers and the priests. We met many of the sisters and Théo the cook. We met others as well. Bro. Max used his very persuasive influence to give us an inside peek at Kara. He smooth talked the guards at the gate into granting us access to Radio Kara (see video + pics); he helped us discover AED, the Peace Corps AIDs center in Kara. We went to the Brewery where all the variety of beers and sucre drinks are made—Fanta, Fanta Pamplamouse, Awooyo, Flag, Eku, Guiness, Castelle. We stopped at a local business called “Group of Young Welders”. We met a young guy working there who Teddy and I would later befriend. After all the touring was done, we had an official meeting with the brothers. We discussed everyone’s roles, everyone’s calendars, the founding of this new collaborative relationship and general subject matter over cold bottled coke and the faint murmur of a “futbol match” on the television in the background.
Down to business. We picked up a cell phone from a “Togo Cellulaire” booth, of which there are many, many. Two bikes as well. Teddy and I felt a sort of independence. With our new cell phone and the brothers’ eyes over my shoulders, I called and set up meetings with different contacts. Some were expecting us, but for many, our story had to be recounted…why we are here, what we are seeking, why it benefits them. Biking around Kara became Teddy and my new thing.
He likes to go fast haha. Real fast. Me, I prefer a leisurely pace. So we trade off and on. But the bikes really helped us get to know the town quickly. Maroc’s, the German owned supermarket (the prefix “super” not really applicable), the post office, the bank, the Young Welder’s place of business, the bridge, the river, the stadium (walled in soccer field), were opened up to us.
Brother Moses also took us on a bike ride. We rode West. We saw the president’s father’s house. We saw the village of well-diggers. We met his deceased brother’s family. We met Mary, his good friend at S.O.S (see video + pics). S.O.S is an orphanage and we promised her we’d come back. And we did, of course with some little gifts and candy and kids songs I had burned onto a CD.
At the post office, Malcolm and I bought some stamps for collecting. He bought more than I did, and several of the post office employees thought we were crazy. Buying so many and not even going to use them?! Our interaction with proprietors and upper managers and generally with everyone we meet is done in back rooms or their office. It is much more personal than in the states. In the States I have encountered, many times, difficulty trying to access figures of authority in organizations. That is one great thing I have come to appreciate about Togo. They don’t bury you in layers. You don’t have to battle your way through mounds of bureaucracy. The US would do well to relearn this. I think of Mr. Sam Walton as I write this.
We also met with M. Baba of University of Kara. This was the single biggest linguistic challenge up to this point. I felt the pressure of the professional atmosphere and the translation process was very sequential. Malcolm would talk. I would translate. M. Baba would respond. I would translate. Then the process would start over. Sometimes it would reverse. Sometimes I would be working the process forwards and backwards at the same time. This was the first of many sessions as a translator to come.
We met with M. Ayia of the Agricultural Company. President Kadafe’s visit to Kara made traveling much more difficult as there were many roadblocks and increased security. All this time we worked on refining our Site Assessment document when not out meeting and corresponding with Universities, NGOs and local businesses.
On our second Sunday, we hiked up the nearby mountains. They call them mountains but they’re really just BIG hills. There we met with a Yovo named Essesoloman. This is a name given to him by the villagers which means “God’s Love” in the local language of Kabiere. I have picked up some greetings and passing phrases in Kabiere. He is a linguist whose aim is to simplify the written form of Kabiere. We met with him to pry a little bit of wisdom from his 20+ years experience of living here. Also, to find out if he knew of any organizations working on projects similar to our intended. In the village we also attended mass. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be. Mass started late because the priest had finished his sermon in the valley late due to a few unexpected baptisms. But he walked up the mountain in his white cassock in no time and after recovering his breath a little, it began. Teddy, Malcolm, me, and Eric a Marianist novice and our leader sat in the back row surrounded in front and on the sides by children twisted in their seats to look at the Yovos. Wide eyed and mouths agape, a few of the more courageous came up to us, shook our hands in the traditional Togolese manner then said “BYE-BYE”…eager to show off their English skill. Song and dance and celebration were the themes of the next 3 hours.
I had to cancel our rendez-vous with Bouoti, a first year student who we’d made friends with because after descending we were tired and were more than happy to indulge in the Togolese/European “repos” after lunch time—the equivalent of South America’s “siestas”. We met up with him and his friend two days later though. Together we took to the market to haggle over soccer balls. I ended up getting one for 3,500 FCFAs.
Bro. Moses took us one day to Cocedri, the Marianist run NGO in Sotouboua. This was our second visit. Moses’ sister in law and her two kids Constantine and Jeremy went with us. Here we were explained the business. The simple yet revolutionary idea behind it is Autonomy. I don’t believe this can be found in any other Togolese owned and operated organization in Togo. I am very impressed b their accomplishments, vision and goals. I am sure collaboration can be set up between UD Ethos and Cocedri. In fact, as I write this I am in Lome to see Malcolm off and when Théo and I return to Kara, we are going to stop in Sotouboua at Cocedri for a few days to explore further what projects are available and what kind of engineering students it would take to tackle these projects.
Having gotten contact information of Peace Corps volunteers from Brownie Lee in Lome we contacted them and arranged to have lunch at Maroc’s. That day we also got in touch with a local business that sells solar powered lamps. Played a little soccer in the evening and went out that night with two Peace Corps girls as our guides. Again on Thursday we met with M. Baba and he took us to meet with the Vice President of the university. I brought many gifts courtesy of so many of YOU that wherever we go, I am able to hand out a little something or another. The young kids especially like these things. And I think they benefit the most.
This is plenty to read for the time being, and I want to post this before the internet goes out again. So I leave it at…
….to be continued.