Troubles in Togo

 "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." ~Derek Bok

This has been a very challenging week for both the United States, with the bombings in Boston, and Togo, with their strikes and demonstrations gone awry. Monday was a tough day for both countries. Here in Togo, a student protest up in the northern regional capitol of Dapaong turned ugly when a 12-year-old boy was killed by Togolese security forces. The boy, Ephrem Tsikplonou, was shot at a demonstration where students were seeking better working conditions for their teachers. There have also been large protests in southern Togo; thousands of students marched in the streets of Lome to demand better conditions for teachers. Togolese students are fighting for their education. 

Teachers have been on strike since last Thursday and the government has shut down all public and private schools in Togo since yesterday until further notice. For years, teachers in Togo have been demanding a salary increase and better work conditions, but these demands have not been answered.  "The education system in Togo has suffered from teacher shortages, lower educational quality in rural areas, and high repetition and dropout rates. Most of the schools in Togo have little in the way of equipment, no electricity, and the language spoken in the classroom is the second or even third language for most children. Despite these difficulties, literacy rates are among the highest in Africa." 
- The Huffington Post

I teach at a private school in Kpalime, so normally the strikes don't affect us. In my conversations with the teachers at my school it seems that a pattern has emerged in Togo with regard to teachers' strikes: 1) The teachers go on strike demanding a pay increase 2) The government negotiates and promises an increase 3) The teachers go back to work, believing that the government will do what they promised 4) The government ends up not giving the teachers the pay increase that they demanded 5) A few months later, the teachers demand a pay increase, go on strike, and the pattern starts all over again. 

This has been going on for years, but it seems like this time the teachers are finally sticking to their guns and not going back until they see results. This is just what I've been hearing from friends in Kpalime. Who knows? Maybe teachers will be back in school next week or maybe this will go on for weeks. I've come to learn the meaning of patience in Togo. Always expect the unexpected. You never really know what is going to happen so you just have to "roll with it."

World Wise Schools

“We live now in a global village and we are in one single family. 

It’s our responsibility to bring friendship and love from all different places 

around the world and to live together in peace.” - Jackie Chan, Actor

My students are very happy about receiving their letters

One project I have been running since last fall is organizing a Pen Pal program between my students here in Kpalime and my sister’s fifth grade class back in the United States. There are about 55 Togolese students participating with 60 American students. At my private school the class sizes are much smaller than in public school systems, so I have four classes here in Kpalime exchanging letters with two American classes at my sister's school.

I can’t speak to the reaction the American students have had toward our pen pal exchange, but my Togolese students are loving it! When I gave out the letters and pictures, mayhem broke out during the snack break. All the students were running around, comparing pen pals and gawking at the cool, funky pictures some of the students had drawn for them. They are very impressed with the appearance of the American students and like the idea of no school uniforms, haha. One of my students, Eric, came up to me asking why his pen pal had pink cheeks. I went on to explain how white people can get “rosy cheeks” sometimes in winter when they come inside from the cold, but I don’t think the point was really understood.

Although I arranged this exchange on my own with my sister, the Peace Corps encourages all volunteers to do similar exchanges. The Peace Corps’ Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools program works to match Peace Corps volunteers with schools in the United States. Not only is this a great opportunity for my students to come in contact with American students, but it is an opportunity for American students to learn about the people, geography, environment, and culture of a different part of the world. This is a project that I definitely plan on continuing throughout my service. 

If you would like more information about the program, or you are an educator who is interested in getting involved in an exchange with a current Peace Corps Volunteer, visit this website: http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/correspond/about.cfm

Fresh Starts, New Beginnings

"From the end spring new beginnings."
~Pliny the Elder

View from the front door of my new house

Wow, it has been a long time since I’ve posted on here. Sorry, I actually forgot I had a blog for a while there. It’s been a crazy month and now with school starting up again tomorrow, there’s no end soon. After returning from my travels up north, I came back to Kpalime, and about a week and a half later, I moved to a new house. At the old place there were too many security issues, so Peace Corps people in Lome decided it was time to relocate. I tried to ignore the problems for a while, but in the end I think the move was inevitable and I’m very happy with my new place. I’m still surprised how fast everything went. I packed up all my belongings in one day, and just two days later was hauling it all into a truck and unpacking in my new house. Moving was a little stressful, especially keeping it a secret from my neighbor, but now I am here and feeling at peace.

Just a couple days after the move, about 10 volunteers came to visit Kpalime over Spring Break. It was nice to finally have visitors! We went up into the mountains one day and toured a coffee producer's land. It was absolutely beautiful. The drive up, on the back of a moto, was a little scary, due to the conditions of the roads, but the scenery was gorgeous, like something out of a movie. We hit up some of the better restaurants in the area that I have been waiting to visit with  friends. I had a great time showing everyone around, and I can’t wait for more visitors!

Chantal's boys in their matching outfits for Easter

I almost forgot, Happy Easter everyone!! Easter here is quite a celebration. Every holiday includes bold new pagne outfits, new hair weaves, and lots of dancing, drinking, and singing. I never really thought of Easter as a party, but it sure is one here in Togo. This marked my fifth Easter in a row away from home, so when I was asked about what my family does for Easter in the United States, it took me a while to remember. I tried to explain the Easter Bunny a few times, but in the end I think people just thought I was crazy. While at a friend’s house yesterday, another volunteer and I showed the kids how to dye eggs with an egg dyeing kit sent from America. I also showed them how to blow the egg out of its shell, which they thought was pretty funny.

After a whirlwind week and a half, I’m finally settling down in my new place and getting prepared for the last trimester of the school year.... looking forward to summer and all the projects coming along with it.