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Published: March 17th 2009
Well I seem to be able to update this blog about ever other day, but no promises. Today is a relatively quiet day, so I managed to slip away for a couple of hours. Thank you again for all your lovely messages, and thanks Frankie for the MMMMASSSSSSIVE email. I had to pay for an extra hour in the internet café just to read it 😉
I actually really enjoy my walk to and from the internet café. It is about half a mile from the Centre, and it is a very safe area, so I can walk on my own. I just set off with a water bottle and a few coins in my pocket - no bag on my back and not carrying anything worth anything. Suddenly every treats me differently. I have found that Togolese manners are very interesting. Everyone will stare at me, frowning and look at me very suspiciously, right up until I say 'Bonjour!' or 'Bon soir!' and then EVERYONE is all smiles and really welcoming, asking how I am and saying what a nice day it is. It is literally a 180° turn of emotions in a split second - from the moment that I show I am being respectful to them.
Also if you pass anyone in the street, or you pass someone's stall, everyone says hello to everyone else. Imagine that happening in London? I actually really like it. And the other day when I shared that taxi with loads of other people, everyone was just nattering away to each other even though they were complete strangers.
We say that Africa is under developed, but I think with regards to politeness and respect, Togo is far ahead of many 'developed' countries that I have experienced. So far I have been welcomed and spoken to politely, and people speak to me with no alterior motif. In Morocco you would get 'Hello! How are you? are you English? Come buy everything in my shop!' but in Togo you get 'Good evening! How are you (Yovo)? You are very welcome. Have a lovely day!' I like it.
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Well, an update on what PDH work I have been doing. This morning I went with Essé to the convent to help distribute milk and rice to young mothers and their babies. We arrived at 7:45 and there was alreadt a long queue of mothers waiting in the convent garden in the shade (the temperature is already about 28° at that time). Essé and I joined the High Sister at the convent in the distribution room, and I set up my camera to film some of the morning for the promotional documentary I am making for PDH.
One by one the mothers and babies came into the office, gae us their dossier number, we looked up their files, and then we gave them the correct food. Again this is a wonderful example of how organised the charity is. Each mother has a number that they are only given when they come to the convent with a photo of their child and a photocopy of the birth certificate (to prove that it is actually THEIR child). A strict record is kept of how much is given to each mother and child, and also if any money is given t them - occassionally the sister would give them 200Francs (about 30p).
There was a huge mix of people who came in. One mother came in with twin babies - one of her back, one on her front. When we looked up her file, we saw that this lady had 8 children - 3 sets of twins and 2 singletons. She was all smiles though and looked to be coping fine!
Another mother came in with a young boy who was about 4 or 5 but was severely mentally and physically disabled. The Sister gave the mother what she could, but neither PDH nor the nunery has the money to get proper care for the young boy.
A third mother who came in brought with her 3 children. 2 of them were tottering around perfectly happy - aged about 2 and 3 years old - but she was holding the third who looked incredibly thin and malnourished. My guess is that he was born prematurely and has never really thrived. The mother was also physically disabled and could not use one of her hands. I think also that she was quite mentally slow, but here she was, looking after 3 children on her own. There are no social services or social houses to help mothers like her. All she can do is rely on the good will of the church and the charities. What else can she do? Again we gave her some rice, baby milk, fattening baby powder for her littlest, and some sugar.
In Morocco I had a similar experience of talking to a very young mother with 2 children who was begging outside a supermarket in Ouarzazate. This morning really did bring back memories of that - and yet here was an amazing nun in a tiny nunery in the middle of Togo giving out medicines, food and money to anyone who needed it. She was a white woman, Italian I think, who has clearly been here for a long time. She seemed to me to be very wise - knowing the ways of the world, but trying to do her part to make it better. I really felt this morning that I was in the presence of a remarcable lady.
And so life chugs along here. Tomorrow I am going to start my interviews for my documentary, so I need to write a semi script for Antoine and Pascal. I want to at least direct them slightly in what to say; as I'm the person who is going to have to edit it all together. God knows how I'm going to do it - haven't thought that far ahead yet.
Rachel is going to take me to a seamstress to get a Togolese dress made for me 😊 First I need to buy the material on my own, which could be interesting.
Pretty cool! I'm half way through my time here, and I have to say I am getting quite used to the way of life already. I have kind of stopped feeling like I am on holiday, and things are starting to feel a bit more normal. My tummy has stopped being dodgy (yay!) and i'm getting into the rhythm of everything. I think by the time I have to go home, Togo would have started to feel very normal.
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Rory
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Wow. I've just gone through all your blog entries so far and it sounds... well, interesting, at the very least. Different. I now feel thoroughly guilty for not hand-rearing six children by myself, thank you very much, Buggerworth. Looking forward to seeing this dress you're having made, glad you faced down potential pick-pockets and pleased that you're helping. One would call you inspirational if not for being such a moody cynic.