Life & Traditions of the TogoleseLinda Ware — Newmarket, ON
Togo is a small, narrow West African nation bordering on Ghana to the west, Benin on the east and lies south of Burkina Faso. A former part of the French Union, Togo is now an independent republic. In the south where the capital, Lomé, is located the land is situated on a plateau changing to a coastal plain made up of numerous marshes and lagoons. Lomé formed the central point for our distribution activities, involving two inner city distributions and six to outlying villages. We travelled via van up to eighty kilometres on the major arterial highway running from Lomé into hilly countryside. After leaving this singular paved road, the driving conditions became more challenging, always on dirt roads often washed away from torrential downpours or general lack of upkeep. A Togolese village consists of a central school surrounded by homes and place of worship. A typical home is a mud hut segregated into two rooms: one for general living, the other for sleeping. All cooking and washing is performed outside the residence. Various areas of the village have cisterns to collect and store water. In Lomé, living conditions consist of a communal style setup. Surrounding a common courtyard are many family single-room dwellings used for sleeping and holding belongings. The courtyard serves as a cooking area and gathering place. At both city and village, maize (corn) forms the basis of the once daily meal. Education starts at an early age for most Togolese children. Although teaching is provided for by the government, families must ensure each child has a khaki uniform and essential school supplies. Although schooling may last between four and seven years, students seeking higher education have to be funded by the family. As a result, it's not uncommon for one child in a family of several children to be selected and therefore, financially supported by the entire family with the hope that the individual's success through higher education will benefit everyone. Togolese people place great value in appearance and presentation. At worship, women's traditional dresses feature bright and colourful fabrics, all beautifully tailored while men wear suits or brightly coloured traditional clothing; however, Western styles greatly influence what is worn at other times, especially amongst the youth. Although we had a van to get to our distribution points, the most common mode of transportation is the motorbike, often times with several members of the family sharing the ride – mom, dad, and a few children. In terms of driving conditions, havoc is the rule of the road. Enroute to one of our city distributions, our van was rear-ended by a taxi. Each driver took a couple of minutes to vocally express his displeasure with the other, and then each set off on their separate ways — police or insurance reports simply do not exist. Although poverty was apparent, the Tologese people for the most part appeared happy and expressed gratitude for our small efforts to assist. The children were ecstatic to receive the bedkits and made great efforts to welcome us to their village.
Two particular observations made a huge impression on me. In one village, a young girl approached us to receive her bedkit. I noticed she was carrying a small doll. I was told that the doll represented her twin who had passed away at an earlier age. Common amongst everyone, she will keep that doll in her possession for the remainder of her life, and will care for it as if it was her twin. In this way, she keeps the memory and life of her twin with her always. In another situation, I witnessed a young boy with a number of small arcs etched into his cheeks (two on one side, three on the other). I learnt that each arc represented a sibling who had passed away. As a tradition, this facial scarring is seen throughout numerous villages. We spent two short weeks amongst the Togolese, touching the lives of 4,000 children — just scratching the surface of those who could be helped. Regardless, we will remember for the rest of our lives, the smiles and gratitude of the children and their caregivers. |
