If We Build It, They Will Come

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic;

it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”

~Colin Powell

He really wanted his picture taken

I'm so happy to announce that work on the library has begun! There was a long delay, because of my med evac home during January and February. The money finally arrived in my account last week and we got to work right away. 

double door opening

A tile floor was installed over the weekend. We also added a new window for more natural light. The door opening was widened to install large double doors. Lastly, we had carpenters come and rip out the black board, and resurface one of the walls to make it nice and smooth. 

The next step will be installing electricity. This will include four long lights on each wall and a couple of ceiling fans to improve the air flow in the room. I'm enjoying finally getting this project underway and can't wait to see what it will look like once it's finished! 

new floor and more natural light

The Good Life

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful 
than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” 
~Mahatma Gandhi

After my trip to the market, I attended a small celebration for the 3^rd birthday of Grace, the youngest daughter of my Togo “mom,” Chantal. I always enjoy time spent at her home with her family. They have really become my family. They are always there for me in every way. I’m going to miss them so much when I leave. 

the birthday girl

At the party the kids were hanging out and playing with balloons. Their favorite game is to hit the balloon in the air and try to never let it touch the ground. So simple, but so much fun. Later on, we ate rice with a delicious, spicy chicken, tomato, and onion sauce. Bea and Chantal are incredibly good cooks! I would be lucky to learn just a fraction of their wonderful cooking skills, but I think I will probably never be as good as they are.

When lunch was over, I helped Chantal give out boxes of presents to kids who live in our neighborhood. Chantal is amazing, not just because she is an awesome mom, friend, and entrepreneur, but she is a deep-down, wonderful human being. She helps people all around her. In November she applied to an American organization that sends shoe boxes of gifts and candy to kids in developing countries. Over the last few weeks, Chantal finally received the boxes and she distributed them to 45 kids in the area. 

Chantal also gives back in other ways. 10 percent of all that she makes from her batik business she saves, using it to pay the school fees for 30+ young students and apprentices in the Kpalime area. I love knowing that whenever I buy something at her shop, I am not only helping her and her family, but I am making a contribution to the community as well. Chantal lives the kind of life that many "religious" people only preach about. She is such an inspirational person. I am happy to call her my friend. 

Market Day

"There is nothing more beautiful than 

living a simple life in this complex universe!"

                                                           ~Mehmet Murat ildan

Walking down into the market

Today is Saturday, one of two big market days in Kpalime. The Kpalime market is huge and always happening every day, but on Tuesdays and Saturdays it gets crazy busy. People come in from nearby towns and swarm the place. I try to avoid going on these days, especially on Saturday. However, I woke up and realized I really didn’t have much in my house, so I decided to bite the bullet and go to the market early, hoping to avoid the crowds. 

Before heading into the market, I stopped at my favorite “white people” store, Galaxy. This shop isn’t run by white people; it’s actually owned and run by a very cute, old couple from India. I call it a “white people” store because it has things that foreigners love, like extra virgin olive oil and lemon dish soap. I love this store and haven’t been back since my time away, so it was great to catch up with them and hear how they are doing.

Then it was on to the market. Today I bought two pieces of pagne, which I don’t do a lot, but I had a moment when I saw the fabric and I knew that if I didn’t stop and buy it I would regret it the rest of the weekend. It is a pretty pink, purple, white and navy blue pattern and cost 6USD for 2 yards. I’m probably going to get a top made with it. I also bought 2 yards of a blue pattern for 4USD that I want to have made into a long, tunic-style dress. 

Next stop was a visit to my go-to vegetable and fruit ladies, whom I love. They are awesome. Today I bought cucumbers, pineapples and bananas from them. I really hate bananas that are very ripe. Call me crazy, but I like mine green. So when I get home I immediately put them in a Ziploc in my freezer. Then I hit up my go-to apple lady, but instead of buying apples, I bought a small jar of peanut butter and a bag of popcorn kernels. 

That sums up my day at the market. Here is a detailed list of the prices. When I was shopping, I kept thinking that I was spending a lot on this grocery trip, but when I see the price in USD, it doesn’t seem like much anymore. 

Pack of straws= 1 USD

Extra virgin olive oil= 11USD

Lemon liquid soap= 1.50USD

3 pineapples= 1USD

2 cucumbers = 75cents

Bag of powdered milk= 2.75USD

Popcorn= 1USD

Peanut butter= 1USD

9 Bananas= 30cents

Just Add Water

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth;

without rain, there would be no life.”

~John Updike

Walking home from school

My favorite time of year has begun, the rainy season.  We've had rain every day for the last six days. Maybe it’s just the PNW in me, but I love rain!! It makes everything so beautiful and green. There is that wonderful, home-sweet-home smell from the rain. Kpalime is known for getting the most rain in Togo and for having a mild climate compared to the extremes in other parts of the country. It’s like the Seattle of Togo. 

It's not dinosaur poop (my first thought), just yam mounds

When the rain started, farmers instantly got to work. Corn is growing like weeds now. Yam/manioc mounds have been made anywhere and everywhere someone could possibly find a spot for them. It’s been several months since the dry season started back in October/November, so people in Kpalime are looking forward to having corn again to make their pate. 

What I love most about this season is the beauty all around me that I get to see every day, the strong wind that blows through before the rain starts, and falling asleep to the sound of rain hitting the roof. What I don’t like is how the unpaved roads turn to mud, the terrifying thunder that makes me jump, and the power outages. I’m happy the dry season is over, but it’s odd to think that I won’t be in Togo when the next one comes to Kpalime. Time flies, only 19.5 weeks left.

hibiscus in my compound

Oh Happy Day!

“This celebration here tells me that this work is not hopeless. I thank you for this teaching with all my heart and lift my glass to human solidarity, to the ultimate victory of knowledge, peace, goodwill and understanding.”  

 -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Yesterday was exciting! We had a very special 

visit from my Country Director, Lauren Mamane and Acting Peace Corps Director, Carrie Hessler-Radelet. This was Carrie’s first time to Togo, and she will be here for a few days before traveling to Benin. We began the day with a welcoming ceremony at my school. The event featured Bobobo dancing, English Club sketches, and the American and Togolese national anthems. There were several small speeches from my school director, local education inspector, Carrie, myself, and a friend of mine who is an education volunteer in a nearby town. It was so cool to have the opportunity to show both directors around my school. They got to see our classrooms and the room that will soon be transformed into a library.

After the school tour, we went out for lunch to a nice restaurant in Kpalime. We all got to talk about our Peace Corps experiences; it was such fun to tell stories together. Peace Corps is really like family to me. It’s wonderful how even though we all served in different countries at different times, we still relate to each others’ experiences. We know the special job we have had as PVCs, and how unique it is from any other type of work abroad. Sitting at the table, sharing and listening to our stories, I was reminded that being a Peace Corps Volunteer makes me not only part of the community of volunteers who are serving with me here in Togo, but it also will give me a lifetime membership in the nation-wide community of RPCVs. 

We finished off the directors’ visit with an outing to see my Togo “mom”, Chantal, the owner of Aklala Batik. There was time for everyone to batik our own piece of fabric and shop in Chantal’s boutique, which is always a dangerous thing for volunteers! I could spend my whole monthly living allowance there, if I’m not careful.

When our visitors left, there was time for a long chat with my two closest volunteer neighbors, which was the BEST way to end the day. As a volunteer in a big city, I often feel lonely, without ever actually being alone. It was really great to have this time to catch up with my friends. Today was a perfect day. Experiences like these are what make me so happy I was able to return to Togo and complete my service.