Collect call from TogoIain Maciver — Port Darlington, ON 
At first glance, Lome looks no different from the capital of other African nations. School-age girls and boys sell mangoes, bananas, newspapers, and bottled water on the streets. Amongst adults there is the usual contrast between those wearing colourful flowing African robes and those in more sombre European attire. Senior government officials whiz past in Mercedes or BMW cars. Being the first SCAW team into Togo we were short on knowledge about the country and people. So after we had completed the distribution of 3,000 bedkits, I had the opportunity to speak to Michel and Olivier, two reporters from the local Lome newspaper. Togo became independent from France on April 27, 1960. The first president was assassinated and later another became the longest surviving dictator in Africa. His son is the current president. The French left a country equipped with a workable infrastructure but since then it has simply decayed. For example, every day we were without electricity for hours at a time. According to the reporters, of all African countries, Togo is at the bottom of the list. 
We asked questions about the children, their life and work. We heard that along this coast, the Bight of Benin, slavery is still alive. Children as young as six are sold to other locals and people from neighbouring countries. They are expected to work for their new owners with money being sent to their family to help them survive. Most of the girls are sold as prostitutes. A lot of children cannot bear the life and run away. In all likelihood, they will never see their family or home again. The biggest issue in Togo is that in all levels of society, no one seems to live up to their promises. This was confirmed by a lot of the mothers of our bedkit recipients. “We did not believe you would come,’ they told us, so a lot of parents missed out as they did not register their child. They assumed it was just another promise since elections are due shortly. There are a number of mines here: iron, bauxite, and phosphate. Most of these are foreign-owned but pay taxes and fees to the government. None of this money seems to end up for the benefit of the country, yet expensive vehicles are evident around the expansive and expensive government buildings. Neighbouring Ghana and Benin are, by comparison, wealthy – due to their natural resources being used properly. Their money is spent on services for the citizens. On a positive note, Togo has had a stable government for the last forty or
so years. The Eyadema father & son dictatorship rule exclusively. Sleeping Children is one of the first not-for-profit organizations to come into Togo since the early 1990’s. The other outfits left due to Human Rights issues which, with the help of the European Union, now have the attention of the United Nations. That all may change due to upcoming elections which will have international observers, Canada included. There is hope that the door is opening to a brighter future. Michel asked us to help provide more education. SCAW has started that by providing 3,000 children with a good night’s sleep, school supplies, and protection from malaria. They asked us to encourage SCAW to do more in Togo to help thousands more of their children. The 2007 Togo SCAW team has seen the need first hand as well as the appreciation. With the average daily income in the $1.03 range and the gross domestic product in the $1,500 range, a $30 SCAW bedkit is a really valuable and useful gift. This is the same plea from our Overseas Volunteer Organization, AED-Togo. They have done a marvelous job and we need to continue our partnership with them in this valuable work. We must answer that call for help from the Togolese children. |
