Togo: 3 — Togo’s Overseas Volunteer Organization

From Togo 2007 — Photo Album 1

SCAW’s new found partner in Togo is a not-for-profit organization called Action Enfance et Développement Togo (AED-Togo) whose primary goal is the care of women and children affected with AIDS. They arrange things such as:

• The adoption of children left without parents who have died of AIDS.
• Help children get their birth certificates. (If a birth certificate is not obtained within 30 days of the child’s birth it is very costly and time-consuming process in Togo.)
• Help supply water for women.
• Promote income-generating activities for women.
• Provide school supplies and pay school fees.
• Arrange Christmas parties, meals, and gifts for children.

All indications are that plans are all in place and everyone is anxious to get started.

The team’s first day in Togo was a day of relaxation and acclimatization, so we did the following:

• Went grocery shopping.
• Had a pre-distribution meeting with AED to plan for the next two weeks.
• Out for Lunch.
• Exchanged some US$ to Togo Francs (CFA’s) with a street vendor.
• Back to hotel for a siesta.
• Off to visit a small community made up of a church, two schools (primary & secondary), hospital and an orphanage in a very poor area of Togo.

Cannot wait to see the children!

Sleeping Children travelling team: Clarence Deyoung (Team leader), Carolyn Carere, Sonya Heleno, Iain Maciver, Eileen Rademacher, Warren Wagstaff.