Women Hold Up Half The Sky

 "It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against 

half the human race. As study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women."  ~Kofi Annan

I’m back! It feels like I’ve been away from Kpalime for a long time. The last two weeks were spent traveling up north. First, I attended my final In-Service Training with fellow volunteers. This time every volunteer also brought along one of their work partners from their town. I brought my school director with me, and I think he had a great time. It was so much fun to reconnect with friends again and hear how everyone is doing.

After the IST was over, I stayed in Pagala at the Peace Corps center for Contact Volunteer training. Contact Volunteers are usually near large cities or the regional capitals, and we essentially are a link between the Peace Corps Security staff in Lome and the volunteers in our area. For example, as a Contact Volunteer I notify PCVs in my area about any security issues or things to watch out for, like the recent travel ban placed on Burkina Faso, our neighbor to the north. During times when there are serious security concerns throughout the whole country, sometimes volunteers need to consolidate. There are several consolidation points in Togo, I think about nine. Each Contact Volunteer plays an important role when this happens. All volunteers in their area or “cluster” join them at their house and await further instructions. Fortunately, Peace Corps Togo has never had to consolidate in all of its 50 years. The worst it has ever gotten to is the Standfast level, which means volunteers have to stay in their village and pack a bag just in case they need to consolidate.

After this training, I left Pagala and headed north into the Kara region, to the regional capital of Kara, for the National Women's Wellness and Empowerment Conference. The journey north was pretty crazy. I was sitting in the back row on a bench that wasn't bolted down to the car. So whenever we hit a large bump, the whole bench would slide forward and Alex and I would have to sit up and push the bench back. Ha! This made for an interesting ride and lightened the mood. Traveling up a mountain in Kara, I think I saw about five 18-wheelers turned over on their side, and on my return trip I saw four more on the same road. One of the semi trucks was carrying oil, which seemed to run all the way down the mountain. As we were descending, we watched people alongside the road trying to collect the oil using sponges and squeezing out the oil into containers. 

Working at this conference was one of the best experiences I have had so far in Togo. There were about 35 women from all over the country there. Peace Corps volunteers and counterparts gave presentations on many issues, such as nutrition, self-confidence, reproductive health, family planning, stress, food security, income generating activities, etc. I presented on two subjects: public speaking and financial planning. This was a fun week, filled with lots of activities, such as a Spa Party where we gave the women manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages. We also started every morning with a little exercise, and  introduced the women to yoga and Zumba. They loved it. My favorite was International Women's Day. All the women and volunteers participated in a march through Kara, singing and dancing. Then the women, themselves, presented to women from the neighborhood on a variety of topics, providing information they had acquired during the conference. It was wonderful to see all they had learned and to watch them present with such confidence and pride. It was an incredible week, and I was pretty bummed when it was over. 

On the return trip home I stayed at the Peace Corps' house in Atakpame for one night, where I borrowed lots of books for my down time. For the last leg of my trip back, I took the miserable, yet beautiful, direct road to Kpalime. I think it's possibly the worst road in the country, 3.5 hours of potholes. On top of that, in traditional Togo fashion, I was jammed in the back row of a five-person car with three other people and there were four people in the front, two sharing the driver's seat and two sharing the passenger's seat. So there were eight people riding in a five-person car. This is completely normal here. Usually the taxi drivers won't want to leave the city until the car is completely full like this. Finally, journey's end, here I am, ready to grade my students’ end-of-trimester exams. These are exams written by the government, so I’m expecting poor results, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. Back to the routine of my life here in Kpalime.

Showtime!

"Movies are like magic tricks." ~ Jeff Bridges

One of my favorite school programs that I have started is Film Fridays. Every other week at our school we show an American film using a projector and a white sheet. Every movie is viewed in English with French subtitles. This gives the students an opportunity to hear American English and learn about American culture. Usually about 30-40 students show up for our afternoon cinema. It's great to hear the students repeat what was said in the movie to themselves in English. This definitely adds a little more fun to the often difficult process of learning a new language.

 

So far the students’ favorites are Spiderman and Jumanji. I love seeing their reactions to the films. They don’t hide their feelings, making noisy comments with lots of "ooohs" and "aaahs" throughout the movie. Jumanji got some very funny responses from my students. Seeing African animals in a movie that was set in the United States was just fascinating to them. I don’t think they understood that the animals on film were added with special effects. It is so fun to watch them watching these movies. Good times for all and a very Happy Friday!

21 Questions

"My formula for living is quite simple. 

I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. 

In between, I occupy myself as best I can."

~Cary Grant 

I have so many people ask me questions about my life here in Kpalime. Here are a few answers for my friends back home. I miss you!

Do you live in a mud hut?

Haha No, I don’t live in a mud hut. I live in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom house that is part of a compound with two other homes. We have a tall wall with a locked entry that separates us from the street and other neighbors.

Do you have electricity and running water?

Yes!! I am very lucky that I live in Kpalime, the fourth largest city in Togo, which has these amenities. The electricity is not always reliable; it shuts off for a couple of hours now and then. Inside the house my only water sources are my shower and a tiny little bathroom sink that you can barely wash a mug in. I get the bulk of my water for doing dishes, laundry and filling my water filter from a spigot outside.

How do you access the internet?

I access the internet with my Togocell internet key, which is a USB stick that contains a sim card. The sim card works just like a phone sim card. When I plug in the key to my computer I can get internet access anywhere there is good Togocell reception. Unlimited access for 30 days costs 15,000cfa, equivalent to 30USD.

How's the weather?

In Kpalime it is hot and humid. The southern part of Togo is very humid and it gets drier and drier as you head north. We are now in the hot season, and the combination of heat and humidity is not fun. I depend on my fan and I wake up every morning sweaty. The rainy season will begin in April and continue on until October.

How do you wash your clothes?

Ugh, this is my least favorite chore. I will never, ever again take for granted the wonderful machines we have back home that do the work for us. I usually do laundry once a week. I put my clothes into a big bucket. Then I mix in powder detergent, add a bucket full of water, mix up the water and clothes, and let the clothes soak for about an hour. The next thing I do is scrub the clothes, focusing on the stinky/dirty areas. Then I rinse the clothes twice, using two other buckets. Finally, I hang my clothes up on the lines and wait. Since it’s so hot here it doesn’t take too long to dry.

How do you cook your food?

Most volunteers cook using a gas stovetop. I have a gas tank that sits on the ground and is attached to a portable stovetop on my counter with a tube. Most Togolese people cook using charcoal stoves that are made out of clay.

What kinds of food do you eat?

I eat a lot of sardines, eggs, and beans. In Kpalime there are many vegetables and fruits too. Bananas are plentiful here. I also like to go to the market to buy cucumbers, green beans, and avocadoes. The only tricky thing is buying lettuce; unless you plan on eating it in the next four or five hours, it’s not a good idea because it wilts pretty fast in the heat.

What’s the strangest food you have eaten?

So far I have avoided some of the local delicacies, like dog, cat, snake, etc. I haven’t been very adventurous in that area, for obvious health reasons. Frankly, I’m not embarrassed to refuse something weird if it means preventing me from having lots of diarrhea. I think that pate is pretty strange to me and its variations. Pate is this white glob of carbs that you dip in a sauce. It’s made from corn flour and water, boiled and stirred into a thick, mashed potato consistency.  

What is a typical monthly living allowance?

Every month volunteers receive 140,000cfa (280USD). This is transferred to our Togo bank accounts that we set up during our training period. My bank is called EcoBank. Kpalime’s bank has an ATM machine, so that’s how I get my money.

What can you buy for one U.S. dollar?

For $1 you can honestly buy quite a bit. 1USD is roughly equivalent to 500cfa. Here are some examples of what you can buy for 500cfa: 5 eggs, 5 avocadoes, one (very large) beer, 1.5 liter water bottle, a hamburger, 10 large beignets, 5 servings of beans, and much more.

Have you been sick?

I was sick once during my training in Tsevie, which I mentioned in a previous blog. I have not suffered any illness since my arrival to Kpalime, besides a couple of really bad colds, which I think were due to traveling.

Are there clothing restrictions?

Placing restrictions on what I wear out in public makes life easier for me, to avoid harassment. As a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, I do what I can to avert attention. I don’t wear sleeveless tops often, and I never wear anything above the knee in public. In general people here don’t wear clothes that expose their knees. With tops, sleeveless is okay, but spaghetti straps are not.

What language do your neighbors speak?

Since I live relatively in the south of Togo, where the major ethnic group is the Ewe people, most of my neighbors speak Ewe. I know a little Ewe, like how to say hello, goodbye, and to introduce myself. For everything else I use French, and I never have a problem. Growing up in Kpalime, a child’s first language is Ewe, their second is French, and their third is English, starting in middle school.

How often do you leave Kpalime?

To get from Kpalime to Lome costs 2,000cfa (4USD) and takes about 2 hours. I teach 5 days a week, so I don’t travel much. I don’t travel to Lome often, because things in Lome are expensive and except for foreign cuisine in restaurants, there isn’t much in Lome that I can’t find in Kpalime. I don’t travel north very often because the road that connects me to the Route Nationale is probably one of the worst roads in Togo and it can take 4 hours to get there.

Do you get lots of mosquito bites?

I don’t. For safety reasons, I don’t go out a lot at night and with my window screens and bed net I seem to be pretty safe. I also brought lots of bug repellants with me (thanks Mom) so that when I am out at dusk, I can be protected.

What "creatures" have you encountered?
Thankfully I don’t have a bat problem in my house, although I do hear them outside at night sometimes in the mango tree. I saw a small garden snake on my neighbor’s porch last month and her friend killed it with a machete, but it wasn’t much to freak out about. The one thing I have encountered is spiders, which are huge and can jump! Yeah, so that’s pretty terrifying. I usually don’t want to get close, so I drive them out my front door with my broom.

What do you miss the most from home?
My family! We are a very close family. I tell them everything, so the first couple of months were hard for me, but thank God for the internet. Since it’s the hot season right now, I miss the Seattle rain. I miss not having to be SO worried about my health, like not having to filter water, bleach all vegetables, and take malaria pills.

Do you have time off for travel?

Yes, over my two years of service I have 48 days for travel outside of Togo. I recently used some days to go to Hawaii for my sister’s wedding and I’m planning some trips for the future.

How far away are other volunteers?

I am fortunate to have a site mate in Kpalime who only lives about a 30-minute walk away from me. My two nearest volunteer friends outside of the city are both about an hour moto ride away. There are only four volunteers in my area of western Plateau. 

How do you spend your down time?

I keep myself busy with school and planning projects. I spend every morning at my school until lunch. In my down time I read, play lots of Sudoku, listen to the radio, watch movies or TV shows on my computer and do yoga. I am also a neat freak, so I spend time organizing and cleaning.

What projects are you working on?

Currently I teach English five days a week, run weekly Girls Club meetings, English Club meetings, and English Movie Fridays at our school. I’m also planning on starting a Boys Club.  I am working my way towards two large projects for the future: I will be involved in planning a two-year English Access program at our school in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy.  I also have plans in the works to create a library for our school.  

Harmattan and Football

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death...

it is much, much more important than that."

~Bill Shankly

Oh how the harmattan winds have been blowing! I’ve been pretty busy lately with work; so sorry that this update is a little delayed. Teaching is going very well. I’m now teaching every day of the week, which I’m really excited about. My favorite part of my day is when I walk into the classroom and get welcomed with “Good morning Miss Emily!” by my 17 awesome students.

Since the last time I blogged I think the most exciting thing that’s been happening is Togo’s amazing run in the 2013 African Cup of Nations. Les Eperviers (the Sparrow Hawks) are in the quarterfinals and playing Burkina Faso this evening. I’m sure I will hear plenty of screaming and shouts tonight as the match goes on. I can already hear people in the streets blowing vuvuzelas. People here get CRAZY after a Togo win. The parties in the street will last for hours. During the match, after every Togo goal the spectators instantly rush out of their homes, into the street to celebrate the goal with neighbors who are as excited as they are. This soccer, or "football" match is the Togo equivalent of the Super Bowl, which will be on tonight in the United States. I have to admit I’ve never really been that into watching soccer, but when in Rome…do as the Romans do. So while I’m in Togo, I will strive to become a fan. Allez les Eperviers!

This past week the harmattan winds have really settled in. They are bringing down the humidity to the point where I actually am reaching for my blanket at night, which NEVER happens. I usually sweat through the nights and wake up sweating before I even start my morning run. Also, the dust brought by the wind is pretty annoying, but thank goodness I have sunglasses. I don’t know how everyone here survives without them. It’s pretty weird to look up and not be able to see the mountains behind my house. The dust in the air has completely blocked the view. The picture below was taken in September, during the rainy season, where you can clearly see the mountains. The picture above was taken today at the same spot in my neighborhood, no mountains in sight. 

Life Lesson

"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove,

what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank...

but the world may be a better place because I made a difference

in the life of a child."   ~Forest Witcraft

This has been a pretty heartbreaking week at my school. Over the weekend one of our teachers was in an accident in Kpalime and died at the scene. My school is a primary and a middle school. The teacher who died was the director of the primary school. I may not have known this teacher very well on a personal level, but I always enjoyed his company. The last time I saw him was on Friday afternoon, while I was waiting for our English film program to start, (we watched Spiderman), and he was waiting for a meeting to start with the PTA committee. He was a very kind person and a wonderful teacher.

Yesterday I attended the funeral along with the teachers and students from our school. I was amazed at how many people were there. The funeral was held at his family home. There must have been about 200 people there, maybe a little more. The Togolese seem to have stronger connections to their acquaintances and neighbors than we do in America. They look after one another over here and communities are close, like a large family. At the funeral the casket was carried in by some students, and friends and family were given an opportunity to go into a small room where the casket was, to say goodbye. After a few words were said by close friends, the casket was put back into the taxi to head to the cemetery. I joined the crowd of students and many others, walking behind the taxi as it made its way to the cemetery, about two miles away. 

Witnessing the grief felt by everyone surrounding me was very hard. Women were sobbing, wailing, and crying out with sadness. People here are not afraid to show their emotions in public during times of sorrow. I tried to focus on remembering how happy he was the last time I saw him, his big smile, always making people laugh. It’s clear to me why so many attended his funeral. He made a positive difference in the lives of others. He was a kindred spirit, a great teacher, and a friend.

Aloha Cousins!

"Mele Kalikimaka"

I just returned from a short trip back to the United States to attend my sister’s wedding in Hawaii. I had an AMAZING time. When I first left for Togo, I told my family that I didn't think I would make it to the wedding, but along the way I changed my mind, with a little convincing from my parents. I am so thankful now that I did.

We had a wonderful week in Hawaii. My sister’s wedding was awesome. She got married at Paradise Cove on Oahu, and for the reception we all went to a luau. It was the best reception I’ve ever been to, probably because it didn’t feel like a wedding reception. It was more like a big party with awesome food and fun activities for everyone to enjoy. I’m usually not a huge fan of traditional weddings; they are so predictable, but this blew all other weddings away.

our little cabin by the beach

The rest of the week we spent exploring the island of Oahu. One thing I love about Oahu is the diversity of activities there are. If you want to enjoy the shopping and nightlife of a big city, you can visit Honolulu and Waikiki. There are also dozens of hikes on the island where you can explore rainforests or even the bamboo forests. If you like history, check out Pearl Harbor. And of course, there's the beautiful shoreline all around the island where you can swim, surf, or snorkel.

My favorite region of Oahu is the eastern side. It’s known as the windward side of the island and also gets the most rain, about 170 inches per year. The lush mountains, the beautiful sandy beaches, and the small town feel are what attract me to this area. My family spent Christmas day on this side of the island.

In the morning we made our way up to the Pali lookout in the mountains. It was dumping rain, but some of us decided to run out in the downpour and check it out anyway. We were absolutely SOAKED and probably looked like we were crazy, but we still had a great time. This is the site of a battle where Kamehameha and his men drove 400 warriers off the cliff to their death, 1000 feet below. Kamehameha then became King Kamehameha, the first king of the Hawaiian Islands.

Our first stop on the eastern coast was at the Byodo-In Japanese Temple at the Valley of the Temples. This temple was featured on an episode of LOST when Jin and Sun got married. All the scenes in LOST were filmed on Oahu, even the scenes set in Japan, California, or the Middle East. The temple was very peaceful and calm. It was built in the 1960s to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. It is a half-size replica of the Byodo-In temple in Uji, Japan.

Making our way down the coast, we passed through President Obama’s hometown of Kailua. We even saw secret service on boats and his road blocked off. So cool!!

Our last stop on Christmas Day was to Lanikai beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I’ve never seen anything like it. The fine, light sand and clear water made me feel like I was in Bora Bora. The beach is only .5 miles long and with no parking lot or amenities, it’s not crowded like some public beaches on the island. 

So after about 36 hours of traveling, I'm back in Togo. It was hard to say goodbye again to everyone, but I'm very happy that I went. It was the best Christmas EVER. 

Batik

“When women thrive, all of society benefits,

and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.”

~Kofi Annan

I recently had a handbag made for me and I love it so much I wanted to post it. I live about two minutes away from a woman named Chantal, who makes beautiful batik fabric and also sews clothes. My site mate, another Peace Corps Volunteer in the Small Enterprise Development program, works with Chantal on improving her business. I’m over at her house often. Her family is very welcoming and I love hanging out with them. Watching the batik process is one of my favorite things to do there. Everything is hand made; the patterns are not printed on, but each is hand stamped with hot wax to create the colorful patterns. 

First they stamp or paint plain white cotton with hot wax. Then, they put the cloth into a bath of dye. The fabric that is not stamped will turn to the color of the die, while the stamped fabric will stay lighter or white. To make the fabrics that have two colors. First you die the fabric one color. After it is dry you then stamp the fabric with a pattern. The parts stamped will stay that color. So, during the next bath of dye, only the parts of fabric that aren't stamped with wax will change color. It is much more complicated than just printing patterns onto fabric, but I think this process is part of what makes the fabric special. No yard of batik will be exactly the same as another.  

The Peace Corps works with women, encouraging them to stay in school and learn about running their own businesses, empowering them to succeed, because studies show that when women are successful, it benefits the rest of the community. Chantal's business, Aklala Batik du Togo, is an example of that success.

Here is a link to a blog about her work:   http://aklala.blogspot.com/   
Also check out Facebook - Aklala Batik du Togo