CHILL student Nikki Govers is in Togo during the Summer of 2016, to participate in Global Exploration, sponsored by Brightlands Chemelot Campus. She publishes a blog about here experiences.
Blog post 3
After our week in Aklakou it was hard to say goodbye to our buddy’s. Again new friends we had to leave. But as soon as we arrived in Djagblé, new buddy’s were already waiting for us. Because the first two weeks of hard work and sickness had taken a lot of energy we had a day off on which we could go swim in a beautiful resort in Lomé. After a day of charging ourselves we immediately went to work. The Togolese students showed us how a schoolday for them starts. The group was split into several groups with all their own tasks. Some had to sweep outside to keep the ‘schoolyard’ clean while others had to take buckets of water about a kilometer away. We even carried the buckets on our head like the Togolese students did.
After that, the new classrooms that were built had to be painted from as well the inside as outside. So as a perfect team the Togolese students and we got into action. Two days we worked laughed, messed with paint and worked out the most creative ways to paint at hight. Because even two there were ladders, it wasn’t enough for so many people and such a big building. Although the time we spent in Djagblé was shorter than the other villages, new friendships were made, we helped each other and learned from each other. The few days we had left we spent as tourists. We drove to the north of Togo in a little not so comfortable bus to Kpalimé. We visited the village and learned about the locals and the flora that’s growing there. We hiked through the woods and spent the afternoon at a waterfall in the middle of nowhere. It was beautiful and swimming was very welcoming after some very warm days. We even drove further to the north in the same bus for 6 hours to camp at Warengo, a place so quiet! As we arrived the sun started to set and we had a beautiful view. There wasn’t human life as far as we could see and there was no electricity so as soon as the sun was down, it was all pitch black. Unfortunately though we thought we could finally sleep without the noise of drums and people on streets, it rained and stormed all night. But it couldn’t make us less excited about going to Tamberman valley to see how primary some of the Togolese still live and in what incredible houses as you can see in one of the pictures. Our journey came to an end and with two last days of safari, a 10hour ride back to Lomé, souvenir shopping and a last morning swim in the ocean we had to say goodbye to this beautiful country that stole my heart. I’m incredibly greatfull for Brightlands for their contribution in making this journey possible for me and of course the Togolese.
Published August 30, 2016.
Blog post 2
This week we started in Aklakou, where we met new buddy’s. Our team was divided in several groups. One of them, which mostly included medical students, visited a local hospital. Some of them helped with consultations of newborn babies and their moms. Others were able to watch small surgeries. It was interesting to see the differences between the Dutch and Togolese procedures. With some of the money we raised as a group, new buildings were built to use as consultation offices. It was meant for us to help with building, but unfortunately most of the work was already done by Togolese workers due to a misunderstanding. Luckily wr were able to paint the buildings. Besides money for the new buildings, we donated a wheelchair, a Pariboy, a sphygmomanometer and a delivery doll as well. An other part of the group helped with making new school tables for the local lyceum we stayed at and others helped with repairing the roof of the school. We also provided the school with a new layer of paint. Trees were planted as well to make it a greener environment.
In Aklakou we haf a cultural exchange as well. With our buddy’s we played a cross the line game, like we did in Agbodrafo, to discuss our differences and comparisons. We did a voodoo tour through the village to learn more about the interesting Voodoo culture which is a important part of the local community’s lives.
One of the things I loved the most was the work we did at aa primary school. We cleared the way to the school and helped building a roof for more course rooms. Here it’s quite normal to have courses outside, so only a roof was more than enough. We helped chopping tree branches which were used to make the frame of the roof and we sorted thatch that was used to cover the roof. Eventually we even attached the thatch to the tree branches while on the roof. A bit risky by our European standards but definitely worth it to help in the Togolese way.
Sometimes we think that we Europeans do things better than others, but when you help in an other country you have to put your own vision aside and learn from an other ones vision.
Another week in Togo has past. We’re ready for our last week of volunteering about which I’ll tell you next week.
Published August 8, 2016.
Blog post 1
Hi everyone,
I’m Nikki Govers, a 22 year old chemistry student working on a minor research at Chemelot Innovation and Learning Labs. At the moment I’m in Togo (West-Africa) for three weeks with a group of other youngsters from Global Exploration to make a little difference in the world. For me, this adventure wouldn’t have been possible without the sponsoring of Brightlands Chemelot Campus.
Last week, after we arrived in Lomé and got used to our new environment, we went to Agbodrafo. Here, every youngster was linked to a Togolese buddy for the rest of the week. One of the things we did together was the exchange of cultures. We discussed environmental problems as well political issues and our way of thinking about people with diseases, another race or a different sexual orientation. Knowledge crossed borders and because we and our buddy’s are the generation of the future, our combined knowledge can improve life conditions in the future.
Beside the exchange of knowledge and culture, we worked together towards a cleaner environment. We cleaned the beach together with our buddy’s and together we made the locals more aware of the importance of a clean beach for the environment, tourism and themselves.
The school where we stayed during the week was located next to the Togo lake, an important environment for the locals for whom fisherman is one of the most practiced professions. For a whole day, we planted new Mangrove trees along the edge of the lake with our buddy’s. The trees will improve the ecosystem by providing more furtile soil and shelter for fish to procreate which is important for the local economy.
This week we tried to make a little difference in the world by making Agbodrafo a cleaner place with locals and by making them more aware of the importance of a clean environment.
I’m now on my way to Aklakou. Next week, I’ll tell about our new projects and new adventures.
Published August 2, 2016
