Sooo started at CACIT (Collectif des Associations Contre l'Impunité au Togo) on Monday, wrote a report Monday night on a talk the director had given at the univeristy on Monday morning, then on Tuesday was informed - "there's an open doors week at another organisation, and you 're going to manage that." !! Luckily, because we're in Togo, it's not until the beginning of June - but still!
Since then have been starting with promoting CACIT's communication - major aim is to get journalists, possibly international, properly involved with CACIT and not only writing articles about what we do, but being themselves Human Rights defenders. So, the YouTube clip below is an audio of an interview the director of CACIT did on the attack on a journalist involved in the demonstration on Independence Day here. Not a brilliant audio sadly, but it's better than nothing. The website of CACIT itself is www.cacit.org if you all want to look at that too! Below should also be the Facebook group so if anyone's got any spare time have a look round and read of all of that - Twitter account coming soon!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002215617806
YouTube audio of the executive director of CACIT
Ok, publicity over. Apart from CACIT, haven't done much revolutionary since last weekend. Helene who was living with me has left, and a new boy has come in her place - half French half English who's also working at CACIT. Lucie, a volunteer who was here for 6 months, left yesterday which means that I'm now the oldest volunteer! (Not in age though, in age I'm almost the youngest...) The extra lessons on Thursdays are still going, and this week we did a little of the history of England - the Royal Family and a massive timeline stretching from 43AD the Roman invasion to today! Next time we're going to do some more detailed work, but wanted them to chose periods that interest them - however they know nothing of English history apart from what we did yesterday so not quite sure how that will work but we'll make it go somehow. Will try to put up as soon as I can a little thing we did a few weeks ago.
Basically, I wrote a couple of poems using the "I am" structure. This is a structure which helps children to approach poetry-writing in an easier way, and basically is a set of line-beginnings which they fill in as applicable to whoever they are describing.
So - my poem as a tourist started
"I am a stranger everywhere I go,
"I wonder where I will be tomorrow,
"I hear people talking in a language I don't understand..."
So I then asked them to write a poem in the same structure, only using 5 or 6 lines, describing themselves. Sadly, only one girl actually did it - I had a few others telling me they'd forgotten it, or left it at home, etc etc - but what she wrote was actually quite good considering, and I think it shows some potential. She added to it as well, to make it longer, so the next time I can get hold of her I'll try and get it so I can put it up on here and you can all read it. Hopefully some others are going to have a go too, so maybe I'll have more than one!
Exciting news for next week - a maternal visitation; as from Tuesday for 6 days, I will no longer be the only Snow in Togo! Will let you know how that all goes...! :)
x
Friday 18 May 2012
Saturday 12 May 2012
CEG ATTIKPA
Have been horribly bad, and this makes 11 days without writing - so sorry everyone!! Time literally has wings here, and it uses them frequently...
Since I last wrote a million and one things have happened, but most of them are boring and normal, so the most important are that I left CEG ATTIKPA :( and we carried out a 'humanitarian project' at school (ATTIKPA). What this last means basically is that we bought blackboard paint, repainted the blackboards, and bought and distributed school books to the children. The story is; there were two Canadian girls here and they didn't often come to meetings, but on Independence Day night, they came to Club 54 with us to have a drink and as we were going to the non-existent fireworks, one of them (Lisa) realised she'd left her moto helmet in the Club. She wasn't sure of the way back so I offered to go with her; on the way we were talking about our projects and she mentioned that she'd been looking for a school to help, as she'd had donations from home which were intended for a school, so she asked me what the problems were and how she could use the money. Of course, there are a million and one problems here, plus a few more so we had plenty to talk about! And it ended up that very kindly, she chose to help ATTIKPA! Unfortunately, this was one week before she left Togo. So we spent the next week running round and organising, which is a more difficult task than usual here... And finally, on Saturday 5th May, the PA volunteers painted all 28 blackboards of CEG ATTIKPA. And with such a great result! Before, blackboards were in a pretty dire state to say the least, and now they're great! The teachers were majorly pleased, one said it makes him want to write now, and that worked out really well indeed. Then the school books. Lisa had bought 600 because she wanted to just buy as many as possible, so we split them up between the 14 classes to make 43 per class, with 42 for the two 3és who are slightly smaller. We decided it should be done on merit, and I really wanted us to give out books to the top 10, maybe 20 in each class, for the two terms just gone (they class all the students of every class at the end of each term so all the information is already there somewhere, so wasn't providing extra work for anyone by saying that!!) and, only if they'd improved. However, it didn't quite turn out like that, and on Wednesday I spent my morning running round giving out all 43 books to each class, child by child. I guess lots have gained from it, but now there's no more incentive to work... Things can be tricky to organise when it involves donations and giving here at times, but am cooking up another plan for before I leave in August... Will keep you posted. And feel free to donate at any point if anyone so feels the need!! Honestly, a worthier cause doesn't come around every day.
And then, yesterday (Friday 11th, coincidentally Bob Marley Day, which was celebrated with gusto everywhere here!) I finished my Project at ATTIKPA. Mixed emotions really; I live literally opposite the school and I'm still here in Togo so in a way I'm not leaving, and I'm totally free to hop over any time I want. But, it's not going to be every day. And I will miss the children: as rowdy and undisciplined and maddening as they can be, they're lovely. I'm continuing my Thursday afternoons, so I'll continue to see that group regularly, and most of the children live in the quartier so I see them around often, but it's not quite the same, and I know I won't see all of them. Equally though, I'm glad to be changing, to try something different, something new which hopefully I'll enjoy too. As a leaving present, the teachers gave me a proper African trouser complet, in red Batik material which is SO cool and SO comfy, if a little hot at midday!! Wore it out last night, though not sure I'd have the courage to wear it all at once in England, but can definitely wear it half and half as well. Brilliant!! One of the teachers also gave me a pair of the flipflops they make here, made by her little sister, and a group of 4é girls also gave me a pair which are really pretty. Going out for dinner with Mama tonight, so donning the complet plus Togo flipflops to go and eat probably pâte - native.
Two more exciting things, went to the most amazing concert last night - a group from Cameroon, just spectacular is really the only way to describe it! And... I got my hair braided...!!! I will try and put photos up for you, but as you've now realised, that means July at the earliest... The joys of a third world country's internet! Also had a few more afternoon classes, and the new Sarah (she's called Katrin and she's German and very nice, also looks a lot like Sarah...) came to see me this Thursday. Slightly scary, but she seemed to enjoy it so that's good! We've got two more lessons to go, approx, and then we're off England and onto more advanced topics which is exciting but little apprehensive of how that's going to go to start with. Will also put up here soon a poem which one of them wrote which I think actually shows really something.
Bises, x
Since I last wrote a million and one things have happened, but most of them are boring and normal, so the most important are that I left CEG ATTIKPA :( and we carried out a 'humanitarian project' at school (ATTIKPA). What this last means basically is that we bought blackboard paint, repainted the blackboards, and bought and distributed school books to the children. The story is; there were two Canadian girls here and they didn't often come to meetings, but on Independence Day night, they came to Club 54 with us to have a drink and as we were going to the non-existent fireworks, one of them (Lisa) realised she'd left her moto helmet in the Club. She wasn't sure of the way back so I offered to go with her; on the way we were talking about our projects and she mentioned that she'd been looking for a school to help, as she'd had donations from home which were intended for a school, so she asked me what the problems were and how she could use the money. Of course, there are a million and one problems here, plus a few more so we had plenty to talk about! And it ended up that very kindly, she chose to help ATTIKPA! Unfortunately, this was one week before she left Togo. So we spent the next week running round and organising, which is a more difficult task than usual here... And finally, on Saturday 5th May, the PA volunteers painted all 28 blackboards of CEG ATTIKPA. And with such a great result! Before, blackboards were in a pretty dire state to say the least, and now they're great! The teachers were majorly pleased, one said it makes him want to write now, and that worked out really well indeed. Then the school books. Lisa had bought 600 because she wanted to just buy as many as possible, so we split them up between the 14 classes to make 43 per class, with 42 for the two 3és who are slightly smaller. We decided it should be done on merit, and I really wanted us to give out books to the top 10, maybe 20 in each class, for the two terms just gone (they class all the students of every class at the end of each term so all the information is already there somewhere, so wasn't providing extra work for anyone by saying that!!) and, only if they'd improved. However, it didn't quite turn out like that, and on Wednesday I spent my morning running round giving out all 43 books to each class, child by child. I guess lots have gained from it, but now there's no more incentive to work... Things can be tricky to organise when it involves donations and giving here at times, but am cooking up another plan for before I leave in August... Will keep you posted. And feel free to donate at any point if anyone so feels the need!! Honestly, a worthier cause doesn't come around every day.
And then, yesterday (Friday 11th, coincidentally Bob Marley Day, which was celebrated with gusto everywhere here!) I finished my Project at ATTIKPA. Mixed emotions really; I live literally opposite the school and I'm still here in Togo so in a way I'm not leaving, and I'm totally free to hop over any time I want. But, it's not going to be every day. And I will miss the children: as rowdy and undisciplined and maddening as they can be, they're lovely. I'm continuing my Thursday afternoons, so I'll continue to see that group regularly, and most of the children live in the quartier so I see them around often, but it's not quite the same, and I know I won't see all of them. Equally though, I'm glad to be changing, to try something different, something new which hopefully I'll enjoy too. As a leaving present, the teachers gave me a proper African trouser complet, in red Batik material which is SO cool and SO comfy, if a little hot at midday!! Wore it out last night, though not sure I'd have the courage to wear it all at once in England, but can definitely wear it half and half as well. Brilliant!! One of the teachers also gave me a pair of the flipflops they make here, made by her little sister, and a group of 4é girls also gave me a pair which are really pretty. Going out for dinner with Mama tonight, so donning the complet plus Togo flipflops to go and eat probably pâte - native.
Two more exciting things, went to the most amazing concert last night - a group from Cameroon, just spectacular is really the only way to describe it! And... I got my hair braided...!!! I will try and put photos up for you, but as you've now realised, that means July at the earliest... The joys of a third world country's internet! Also had a few more afternoon classes, and the new Sarah (she's called Katrin and she's German and very nice, also looks a lot like Sarah...) came to see me this Thursday. Slightly scary, but she seemed to enjoy it so that's good! We've got two more lessons to go, approx, and then we're off England and onto more advanced topics which is exciting but little apprehensive of how that's going to go to start with. Will also put up here soon a poem which one of them wrote which I think actually shows really something.
Bises, x
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