Togo: Culture Shock

The biggest cause for culture shock for me here in Togo is the sense of scale.  At only 5’6” tall, this is nothing new for me, but I’m not referring solely to height.  A North American ‘big box’ mentality has no place here.  Cottage industries run by individuals or small family collectives are the norm.  Stalls are rarely larger than 8’x12’.  It is not uncommon to see a street stall selling a strange combination of items; a new suit with your bicycle, gasoline with your mangos, some edible chalk with a new pair of sandals perhaps? 

Farming is a surprisingly small-scale activity as well.  There are no tractors dragging implements.  All furrowing, seeding and cultivating is done by hand.  Any tree seedling in the midst of a field is not uprooted, but left to mature and produce its own yield. 

One of the greatest benefits of international travel is to discover how multi-faceted the world and its peoples are, and the beautiful country of Togo provides ample opportunity for that.

Michael Compeau for Team Togo 2015

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