Tuesday 27 April 2010
Im fine. Im just in Ghana.
I'll be here for... well, i havent decided how long yet, but maybe until the first. you can reach me at (+233) 548039036 and if that doesnt work, I'm back in Togo. I lost my phone but I'll try to get the same number back as soon as i can. the number is (+228) 986 1792. until i get that one back, i dont know what number i'll have, maybe Emily's: (+228) 938 5229. I'm fine though. Don't worry about anything.
Thursday 15 April 2010
Anasara, il faut me donner vingt-cinq
You’re on the internet; obviously, you know how to use a computer. Why not help a kid in Togo learn how to do the same?
Katy, the volunteer in Sokode, and I have organized a camp for high school students called Camp Informatique. It’s a weeklong formation for the #1 ranked student in their junior year of higschool from private and public schools located all over the Centrale Region of Togo. Because we’ve selected the top-ranking student from each school, they have the best chance of going to university in the years to come. Unfortunately, many of these students have never used a computer before. Writing a term paper would be slightly more difficult if you don’t even know what Microsoft Word is, let alone how to use it.
We are funding this project by means of a Peace Corps Partnership. This program provides a means through which friends and family in America (or anywhere, really) can donate money. One rule of this program states that, to show motivation, the community has to contribute at least 25% of the cost. In our case, the community is donating well over the required percentage. After all of the money has been donated, only then will Katy and I receive the funds. The camp is scheduled for the second week of June, so if you are interested in helping out, it would be much better to do so sooner, rather than later.
This will be the third year this camp has taken place, and every year the organizers from Sokode are one step closer to being fully self-sufficient. Obtaining the funds is the most difficult part. But this should be the last year a Peace Corps Partnership will be necessary.
The students who attend this camp are wonderful. There are a thousand reasons why a Togolese student won’t make it to high school. Not only have our students made it there, they are the #1 student in their class. These kids are brilliant and really motivated, but one of the biggest factors holding them back from a successful completion of university is a sheer lack of computer skills.
If you’d like to donate some money, you would really be giving these kids an opportunity that they otherwise won’t have. Please, check out our proposal, and instead of going to the movies this weekend, put the 10 bucks toward our project. Of you know, if you have a few hundred lying around, we’ll gladly accept. Thanks.
Katy, the volunteer in Sokode, and I have organized a camp for high school students called Camp Informatique. It’s a weeklong formation for the #1 ranked student in their junior year of higschool from private and public schools located all over the Centrale Region of Togo. Because we’ve selected the top-ranking student from each school, they have the best chance of going to university in the years to come. Unfortunately, many of these students have never used a computer before. Writing a term paper would be slightly more difficult if you don’t even know what Microsoft Word is, let alone how to use it.
We are funding this project by means of a Peace Corps Partnership. This program provides a means through which friends and family in America (or anywhere, really) can donate money. One rule of this program states that, to show motivation, the community has to contribute at least 25% of the cost. In our case, the community is donating well over the required percentage. After all of the money has been donated, only then will Katy and I receive the funds. The camp is scheduled for the second week of June, so if you are interested in helping out, it would be much better to do so sooner, rather than later.
This will be the third year this camp has taken place, and every year the organizers from Sokode are one step closer to being fully self-sufficient. Obtaining the funds is the most difficult part. But this should be the last year a Peace Corps Partnership will be necessary.
The students who attend this camp are wonderful. There are a thousand reasons why a Togolese student won’t make it to high school. Not only have our students made it there, they are the #1 student in their class. These kids are brilliant and really motivated, but one of the biggest factors holding them back from a successful completion of university is a sheer lack of computer skills.
If you’d like to donate some money, you would really be giving these kids an opportunity that they otherwise won’t have. Please, check out our proposal, and instead of going to the movies this weekend, put the 10 bucks toward our project. Of you know, if you have a few hundred lying around, we’ll gladly accept. Thanks.
Saturday 10 April 2010
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
Life is full of ups and downs, arrivals and departures, sines and cosines. Even fire (dry season), rain (rainy), and sunny days that you swear to god will never ever end (any time of year, really). Since I’ve experienced- nay, endured one rainy and two dry seasons, I decided to make a “pros & cons” list for both. If you ever want to visit West Africa, feel free to use this list as a guide when choosing which personality of the region you’d like to “experience” (ou bein, endure). But keep in mind that the best current feature of West Africa (me) won’t be around for too much longer.
(Note: This was formatted in a nice little chart before I had to edit it because Blogger screwed it up)
Rainy Season
(April-September)
Pros
· Built-in excuse not to have to be anywhere
· Can wear a hoodie, drink tea, and watch the rain on the front porch
· Everything is green and alive Much better selection of produce au marché
Cons
· Rivers are now where the roads used to be. Good luck getting around.
· Laundry takes two days to dry; clothes grow mold if you go too long without wearing them
· Instead of evaporating, sweat likes to stick around and keep you company
· Tons of mosquitoes! (and bugs in general) Mud everywhere (on feet, pant cuffs, splattered up back of pant legs, in house, etc)
Dry Season
(October-March)
Pros
· Cool enough at night to sleep
· Roads aren’t laced with canyons and riverbeds (still though, good luck getting around)
· Don’t have to bring rain jacket absolutely everywhere
· Can put off doing laundry till last possible minute cause clothes dry in about 30 seconds (read: can wear last pair of underwear while washing all of the others)
Cons
· Everything is dry, brown, and dead
· Nose constantly feels like it would be clogged or runny if it could only muster enough moisture to produce some snot
· Lips crackle like Rice Crispies
· Feet are constantly dirty from walking through dust all day
· Have to dust and sweep the whole house daily
Although it’s nice to be able to see kilometer after kilometer unobstructed by plant life during dry season, I personally prefer rainy season. The ubiquitous millet and tall grasses that tower overhead make me feel more like I’m “in” someplace and less like I’m “on” someplace. This opinion may have roots in the streets Philly or the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, but I prefer jungle (concrete or otherwise) to desert.
(Note: This was formatted in a nice little chart before I had to edit it because Blogger screwed it up)
Rainy Season
(April-September)
Pros
· Built-in excuse not to have to be anywhere
· Can wear a hoodie, drink tea, and watch the rain on the front porch
· Everything is green and alive Much better selection of produce au marché
Cons
· Rivers are now where the roads used to be. Good luck getting around.
· Laundry takes two days to dry; clothes grow mold if you go too long without wearing them
· Instead of evaporating, sweat likes to stick around and keep you company
· Tons of mosquitoes! (and bugs in general) Mud everywhere (on feet, pant cuffs, splattered up back of pant legs, in house, etc)
Dry Season
(October-March)
Pros
· Cool enough at night to sleep
· Roads aren’t laced with canyons and riverbeds (still though, good luck getting around)
· Don’t have to bring rain jacket absolutely everywhere
· Can put off doing laundry till last possible minute cause clothes dry in about 30 seconds (read: can wear last pair of underwear while washing all of the others)
Cons
· Everything is dry, brown, and dead
· Nose constantly feels like it would be clogged or runny if it could only muster enough moisture to produce some snot
· Lips crackle like Rice Crispies
· Feet are constantly dirty from walking through dust all day
· Have to dust and sweep the whole house daily
Although it’s nice to be able to see kilometer after kilometer unobstructed by plant life during dry season, I personally prefer rainy season. The ubiquitous millet and tall grasses that tower overhead make me feel more like I’m “in” someplace and less like I’m “on” someplace. This opinion may have roots in the streets Philly or the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, but I prefer jungle (concrete or otherwise) to desert.
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