A day in the life: Progress on sanitation and malaria prevention project

After many educational sessions and the approval of a grant application, my work partners, village members, and I have started to build showers. The first stage of this building process is the drainage pit (soak pit). Over the past week, all of the soak pits have been created, and now it is time to create the cement blocks to begin the construction. 

Below are some images to share what this process looks like:

Last week we measured the locations of the showers and soak pits so that each family could dig the 1 meter deep hole for their soak pit.

Left: Men forming the cement bricks. These bricks will take about a day to form, so that the construction of the shower structures can commence one or two days from the time of this photo. Right: A man showing how he dug his 1 meter deep hole for the shower's soak pit (where the shower water will drain).

A daughter and her mother prepare for the shower construction as they transport sand to use to mix into the cement, which will eventually create the shower's bricks.

Summer camp in Togo: Camp UNITE

Peace Corps volunteers help to organize a handful of different summer camps here in Togo. There are camps about science, the environment, life skills, a camp for children with disabilities, and a camp for children who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. In May, I participated in Camp UNITE as a counselor of apprentice girls. The week was the same as any other week of summer camp that I've experienced - extremely busy, extremely fun, extremely tiring, and extremely rewarding. Camp UNITE focuses on life skills and example session topics include: abstinence and family planning, citizenship, food security and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, income-generating activities, leadership, the reproductive system, and self-confidence. Just like other summer camps, we slept in "cabins", participated in a talent show, ate in a meal hall, hosted a dance party to celebrate the week, and formed little families of our own.

To share Camp UNITE, below are some pictures of camp activities:

This is one of the "classrooms" at camp. You can seen the campers listening intently, and two counselors in front presenting.

The girls are lined up and listening, ready to begin participating in a game.

The last day of camp is an opportunity for the campers to apply and share the skills and lessons that they have learned. We traveled to a nearby village, and the girls presented life lessons to an audience.

Before the girls gave their group presentations - which were in the form of skits - we paraded around town , sang camp songs, and even danced. 

The girls presenting, with the audience surrounding them.

A picture of all of the camp counselors.

At the finish of the last night of camp, we all participated in a candlelight ceremony to reflect on what we had learned at camp, and how camp had impacted our perspective of how we would like to make choices that will inform our futures. 

This just in from Togo

I was informed that Togo was recently featured in the news and I wanted to share this feature, and others, with anyone who may be interested. The feature's captions prove true to what I have been witnessing - from a very far distance - across the country. From my personal experiences and discussions, the expression of protest that is briefly illustrated in this photo is found in various degrees (varying from 0 to semi-aggressive protests) among the people of Togo.

Other relatively recent Togo-related articles:

• Article via ABC News elaborating on the story shown in the WSJ photo, a brief update on the story, and an earlier post of the story 
• UN News, Togo is also a peacekeeper

To any potentially concerned friends and family - the Peace Corps continues to keep all volunteers informed of activities that may concern us, and directs us to take appropriate precautions when necessary.

A day in the life: Introduction to a project focused on sanitation and malaria

Malaria plays a significant role in life here in Togo, especially during rainy season when mosquitoes have the easiest time locating places to reproduce. How serious? Malaria is the most frequently recorded cause of death in Togo. Really? Yes, in 2010 malaria was the cause of recorded death for about 42% (1,113) of children under 5, 12% (380) of individuals 5 and older, and 7% (1,507) of pregnant women*.

One of the projects I have been working on involves the connection between stagnant water and malaria. As many of us know, malaria is carried by mosquitoes. The more exposed one is to mosquitoes and the more vulnerable one is to mosquitoes’ bites, the more prone one is to the contraction of malaria. One method of controlling the presence of mosquitoes is through limiting the reproduction of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, which is where mosquito larvae develop. Therefore, if one minimizes the presence of stagnant water, one limits the opportunities for mosquito reproduction and development, lessens the concentration of mosquitoes in one’s area, and reduces one’s risk of contracting malaria.

Water – mosquito babies – mosquitoes – mosquito bites – malaria

No water – 0 mosquito babies – 0 mosquitoes – 0 mosquito bites – 0 malaria

When my work partners first introduced this project to me, they took me on a walk through the village demonstrating the presence of stagnant water. Their proposal was to construct 10 showers throughout the village. These showers would demonstrate a proper drainage system. The showers would lessen the amount of stagnant water, and show community members how to replicate this system within their own living space.

When we conducted this initial visit, I captured some photos of local showers and the poor drainage of water. These pictures were taken during dry season: 

Images of showers in the community

Images showing the current prevalence of stagnant water and blocked drainage areas

Concrete in Togo is expensive. Proper drainage systems demand concrete, therefore making showers with proper drainage more expensive. However, my work partners and I hope to build an understanding of the importance of proper drainage construction, demonstrate a cost-effective method of construction, and inspire community members to build low-cost showers of their own.

The foundation of this project is not the construction of showers, but the educational sessions that my work partners and I present to community members. These educational sessions are attended by prominent community members, and are conducted to establish a common understanding of the connection between stagnant water and malaria, and the importance of lessening the presence of stagnant water for the community’s health.

We held our first educational session last week. The session covered general malaria knowledge, and a review of how to wash a mosquito net. We’re building from malaria, to malaria prevention, to stagnant water prevention, to overall community sanitation. 

Local community health workers demonstrating how to wash a mosquito net

Village locals at the educational session

Hopefully over the next few months I’ll be able to show you some more progress on the community’s project towards sanitation and malaria prevention!

*These numbers were taken from a 2010 annual report conducted by a division within the Togolese government, “National Program of the Fight against Malaria” (Programme National de Lutte contra le Paludisme, PNLP).

Youth group activities

Over the past few months, two work partners and I have been working with a youth group discussing topics related to sexual health such as sexually transmitted infections and diseases, and the prevention of HIV/AIDS. This past weekend, we completed our unit on sexual health and to celebrate we cooked a Togolese meal together, and I brought along the American dessert of banana bread. It was a beautiful cultural exchange and an enjoyable three+ hours spent playing logic games, discussing cooking skills, and talking about our youth group.

Many of my youth group members snapped photos of the food-preparation process, and captured some images of one another, too:

Stirring our meal - pieces of local "potato" in a tomato-based sauce

Food preparation, notice the "stove" on which the pot is cooking. The surface of the stove is filled with charcoal, and the heat is controlled by an individual fanning the charcoal.

Bon appetit!

A few happy youth group members

This just in from Togo

Over the past eight months that school has been in session, public elementary, middle, and high school teachers across Togo have been periodically striking to demand better working conditions. From what I have been told, this is in no way unusual. The duration of each strike is different village-to-village, town-to-town, and city-to-city. Over the past two weeks the presence of strikes across the country has been especially strong, both in prevalence and in duration. In some areas, students have demonstrated in peaceful ways - such as assembling together, or marching - to express support of their teachers' demands. The largest cities in Togo are the capitals of the five regions. These cities are some of the most visible areas, and host the largest populations. Recently, in some of the regional capitals, the peaceful demonstrations of students and teachers have been relatively large for Togo. Yesterday, what initially began as a peaceful protest in the northern most regional capital, Dapaong, became tragically violent. The article below reports that "security forces had fired bullets in the air to keep the crowd under control". Either way, the originally peaceful protest ended with the death of at least one young student. [Although the below Washington Post article cites one death, I have heard that it may be up to three.]

To any concerned friends or family - all Peace Corps volunteers are safe and we were not in any danger.

Today all schools were closed and I have been told that negotiations regarding teachers' conditions have commenced. I hope that a resolution that leads for better working conditions for teaches, and therefore better learning conditions for students, can be reached.

Washington Post Article - Union official: 1 student killed, 1 wounded in demonstration in tiny W. African nation of Togo

Insight into project work: Camp Espoir

The past few months, I have had the privilege of working with three other PCVs in organizing a summer camp, Camp Espoir. This summer camp is the result of a partnership between the Peace Corps and nine Togolese nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Each month, these nine NGOs host a Club Espoir meeting for children infected with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS. I attend these Club Espoir meetings each month, and I always have a blast with the kids who attend. We sing songs from camp, play games, and review topics related to education and health. The kids are knowledgeable, curious, and extremely engaged throughout our meetings. The children who attend the monthly Club Espoir meetings at the nine NGOs are previous and future Camp Espoir campers. The knowledge gained by campers at Camp Espoir is carried through to their Club Espoir meetings, and the bonds that the children create at camp form the foundation of a support system for the children in their local communities. As a previous summer camper in my youth, and as a summer camp counselor at Project Morry during college, summer camp holds a place close to my heart. I am so excited to share a few weeks this summer with the children of Camp Espoir.

In order to share Camp Espoir and local Club Espoir activities, another PCV and I have created a website - campespoir.wordpress.com - please feel free to check it out! You may notice a familiar voice when you read some of the Tales from Togo entries!

Two girls and I at a local Club Espoir meeting