My Work in Elementary Schools: Dokitaviwo
Sophia ordered for me the book “Child to Child Resource Book” (Activity Sheets) and, along with ‘Helping Health Workers Learn”, it’s become my Bible. I use its ideas twice a week in two different primary schools. The first school (Apegnigbe) only has about 150 students so I tend to work with all of them at once (the kids and teachers there are so great… Once I was walking on the road and a bunch of the students saw me and all started cheering and singing the song I had taught them the week before) but the 2nd one (Sevagan Centre) has over 800 kids enrolled and the whole premise of the Child-to-Child approach (interactive activities) wouldn’t work, so I meet with the 2 oldest grades, CM1 and CM2 – still probably over 60 kids. Apegnigbe is learning First Aid stuff: I died water red with Crystal Light and we pretended it was blood and they all practiced cleaning and bandaging their “dog bites”. And Sevagan Centre is learning about nutrition : They made ‘Shakir strips’ (strips of paper that measure the circumference of children’s upper arms which points to levels of malnutrition) and are going to measure their little brothers and sisters at the home. Then they are going to report back (this afternoon in fact) and we’re going o make a chart showing how many kids in our neighborhood are too skinny. For the next session, this will lead into a discussion on nutrition and what to eat. We’re going to make miniature stools (each leg represents energy, vitamins, etc) and then play around with food combinations to see if we’re eating right….
Working at these two schools is my favorite activity and no matter how tired I am, even if I had considered cancelling the afternoon’s session, at the end of the session I’m always so thrilled and proud of the little kids’ enthusiasm and pride (I explained the sessions to them that they were learning how to be “Little Doctors”: Dokitaviwo in Ewe).
English Club
I have an English Club twice a week (different grade levels) at the collège. So far , mainly I just teach the kids songs: Yankee Doodle, Rain Rain Go Away, On Top of Old Smoky, etc. Next week I’m going to teach them “Fifty Nifty United States” to help them memorize the names of all the states.
World Map Project
I’m still going to do this project (painting murals at the schools) but because I’m probably going to be paying out of pocket I am going to postpone it till February, most likely… Besides, the rains will be done by then so it will be easier to work.
Update on Girl Scouts
I went into Lomé and met with one of the leaders of the Togolese Guides. She gave me more information on starting a troop. Also I definitely went to take everyone up on their offered of using troops from your communities! The lady in Lomé was very excited and said she had thought the Peace Cors was just teaching English. Justine is (of course!) going to be my troop leader. When I have time I start to put the wheels in motion, slowly, but anything “real” will probably only happen after Christmas vacation – mildly frustrating, but because meetings will probably be on Sundays, it doesn’t work out to start in November because I have to go back to Agou, then preparations for Noel will keep everyone busy, etc. etc. So after Xmas it is. I hope it works out well. Becka in Vogan also wants to do it so we can have inter-troop activities! I’m going to do Catholic Guides to start with because the girls at the church are easy to organize and their parents already are used to letting them go for religious meetings.
Christmas
Speaking of Noel, I’m sort of excited to be spending it in village. I will be in Agou with the trainees for Thanksgiving and the following week too, when they move to Lomé for swear-in. 2 weeks might be longest I’ve ever been away, yikes. Anyway, when I come back from Agou (Dec 
I’m going to teach Justine’s little sisters how to make paper garlands and singing English Xmas carols and cut out paper snowflakes and we’re going to have two Christmas trees (one at my house and one at Justine’s family’s house/her workshop).
Moto Accident
Coming back from Vogan one Friday afternoon (Oct 24?) my moto fell, leaving me with a scar on my leg (which I’m hoping doesn’t fade because it’s such a great line: “Yes, I got this in Africa…”) along some deep bruises and cuts. My leg was caught in the wheel so I was very, very lucky that it wasn’t broken. The moto driver wasn’t hurt and rumor has it he has not returned to work because he’s so embarrassed about having drawn the blood of the white lady… Justine was furious and Simon went to go talk to the moto drivers union who were all very indignant and critical of their colleague. (“If we had been there we would never have let her drive with him.”) As it is, I haven’t stopped taking motos (I need to unless there is a market car available!) but now I have a horrible phobia and it’s a nightmare riding them, whereas before I was absolutely fearless and loved motos. I know the phobia is irrational which is why I continue to take them and I’m hoping eventually it will pass. The accident was basically due to an inexperienced driver and a moto in poor condition , so I tend to only take drivers I know now. But, I hate how scared I am now. It sucks too because there’s no way to avoid them – I have to go into Lomé on Sunday, for instance, for editing Leve-Toi Jeune Fille, and there won’t be cars out of village on a Sunday. Sigh. So that’s the update on that … But, still, considering my general accident-prone self: A year is pretty good to go without falling off, right? Also (MOM), I may have fallen, but the road I take them on is an unpaved road and by necessity the moto drivers will never be going all that fast, so while yes, the motos can have accidents, the likelihood of it being extremely serious is low considered aside from Fridays there aren’t even cars on that road. At most a burn from the exhaust pipe or a broken bone, but nothing fatal. Thank goodness the Peace Corps forbids us from taking motos in the big cities – I’ve seen some bad accidents happen there.
Posted by togolesejourney 
Posted by togolesejourney 
Posted by togolesejourney 
