Monday, July 20, 2015

Rose's Update-July/August 2015

Dear Friends of Alaffia,

Alaffia Co-Founder, Rose Hyde
Schools are just getting out here in Togo. The season was long this year due to teacher strikes and other interruptions. Every time I come to West Africa, since I first came as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1995, I am struck by the conflicts surrounding western education. Western education methods condense cultures rich in oral history and traditions onto chalkboards and notebooks.  They confine children bursting with energy and hope in hot brick rooms day after day.  However, being a product of state sponsored education I realize the great benefit that education can bring to individuals and communities.  I also know the necessity of learning the global languages in navigating and succeeding in this shrinking world.

Everywhere I visit in Togo, I see communities that have very little, but still put resources together to build schools in hopes their children will have a better chance.  It is this hope and determination that encourage us to continue our education projects.  The motivation we provide with simple pens and pencils, bicycles and school buildings will someday help form the leaders needed to truly bring Togo out of poverty. Without the access to education, there will be no end to poverty and no possibility of communities coming together despite their differences.

Our daughter, Yemi, wrote the following summary of a conversation we recently had with a girl from Benin.  I am sharing it with you because I think it brings a child’s perspective to the importance of education to young people, especially girls, in West Africa.

“Hi. I am Yemi Tchala, and I am 11 years old.  My parents own one of the best fair trade businesses, and as one of the daughters of these people, I think it is my responsibility to tell the world what my parents do.
I have personally experienced the power of Alaffia. This year, I was at a drink bar with my parents, my sister Abi, and our new friend Rafira. Rafira is from Benin. She is in Togo to be a nanny for a 4 month old baby during her school vacation.  Rafira cares for the baby while her mom is at work.  Rafira’s language is very similar to my Dad’s language, Kaboli.  Since my sister and I are still learning Kaboli, my Dad translated for us so we could ask her questions about her life.
Rafira said her father has three wives and 11 children; 8 with her mom, 3 with the second wife, and one who died as a baby with the third wife. She is the third youngest for her mom, before her twin brothers. The oldest five children have already left home. The three girls live with their husbands. The boys left for the big city (Cotonou) and Nigeria to look for work as house servants. 
Rafira
I asked Rafira if she went to school. She said, “Yes, that is why I came here; to work for pens and pencils and books for school.” She also wants to take a little money home so she can buy books for her twin brothers.  She is 15, but will be in the same grade as me, the sixth grade.  She is a farm kid, and started school late. She also repeated second grade. Rafira says she walks to school most days, and unless she gets a ride with a stranger, she gets to school by 9 am.  Her new school will be closer, but it is still far. Abi and I are going to give her a bike before she goes home. 
I know Rafira misses her family because she said, “If you made me the richest girl in Togo, I would still go back to Benin to work as a farmer with my family because if I didn’t see them that would hurt me.” I thought this was beautiful and should be written down. She started really missing her family after saying that, so we stopped asking questions and bought her a soda to cheer her up. After Rafira was happy again, we told her we would write letters to her from the USA and we would go to visit her next time we were in Togo.”

This brief note from Yemi illustrates the difficulty of life for students in West Africa. It also shows the great help that our simple pencils, bikes and buildings bring to communities and families.  As always, we thank you for your participation and support in continuing all our Alaffia efforts.

Sincerely,

Rose Hyde


30 comments:

  1. such an awesome blog artcle quiet emotional im quite concerned by the plight of the togolese girls I hope things get to work out thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  2. It will be useful to read https://justdomyhomework.com/blog/1000-word-essay if you want to learn more about writing 1000 word essay. It was really helpful at least for me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the scheme! I work in electronics field and it helps me. download instagram stories

    ReplyDelete
  4. gamekiller
    gamekiller app
    game killer
    gamekiller apk
    gamekiller download
    A really good post, very thankful and hopeful that you will write many more posts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for that information you article
    Swords And Souls

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi there, I found your blog via Google while searching for such kinda informative post and your post looks very interesting for me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have read your post. It solved some aspects of the problem. I think you need to make the problem clearer

    ReplyDelete
  8. The forum you shared is wonderful and very meaningful, I hope it will be widely deployed
    outlook entrar

    ReplyDelete
  9. We think about to seeing you all in 2020 and building on what we have succeeded this year. Have a great Christmas, and from every person here at its Nice that, thank you.

    Regards,
    James Owens - Can someone to do my assignment cheap

    ReplyDelete
  10. She saw leprosy to be clean, the street was moved to be a people or to die with self-possession. Others named by him, they went over because his color is being attacked by disease. And it's not until they're discriminated against. I really hope you can see Wikipedia page creators in their hearts altruistic Alaffia Organizers.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a wonderful website the site owner has done a great job thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just want to thank you to share your information on your blog; this is a simple and useful. Chandler Arizona Real Estate

    ReplyDelete
  13. Really great article, Glad to read the article. It is very informative for us. Thanks for posting. And also check this Latest Government Jobs.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well, we all know that nursing is not an easy task. There are a number of nursing students who get a number of nursing assignments. Being a medical student, it is quite difficult to write on theoretical topics. According to the research, I found that when they are unable to write their nursing assignments by own they search for the nursing assignment help. To deal with the number of assignment tasks they seek help from the online assignment writing services. But as there are many assignment panels in the market they do not get the best nursing assignment expert.

    If you wanted to seek reliable assignment help in Australia. Then I would like to refer you to Sample Assignment. They offer academic assignment assistance from the past 7 years so that they are well aware of all the basic modules of writing. They have the most majestic assignment provider in Australia who have qualified from the best universities in Australia although they all have good command in all types of assignment writings. There is a number of students from different countries who take assignment help from them. They have the best quality approach towards the work. If you are facing problems with nursing assignments then you can take help from them!

    ReplyDelete
  15. well written article,i have read such inspiring articles in diffrent platform like
    Wikipedia creation servicesthanx for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  16. Glad to read this post because it's very informative to us, Thanks for sharing it I will share on my platform also Wikipedia Editing Services

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your opinion is great, it is exactly what I think. If we go in that direction, everything will become much more perfect

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your work is honourable! you did your best and you will get the reward. remarkable efforts.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wish you success in many upcoming projects

    ezlms apkxyz

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi, This blog is very important as you have talked about western education but Westernmost Civilization is on a downward slide in many areas, not only education.
    Can someone to do my assignment cheap

    ReplyDelete
  21. Get top-quality Buy Essay Online With Experts at a low cost in the UK. We provide 100% plagiarism free work boundless updates with free association from specialists.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Prairie Rose Hyde, co-founder of Alaffia with her husband, Olowo-n'djo Tchala, was recognized by the YWCA of Olympia as a 2016 Woman of ...

    kahoot smasher apk

    ReplyDelete
  23. A best concrete placing boom for sale is a mobile truck-mounted plant carrying a knuckle boom. It has the ability of power-operated luffing and slewing for placing concrete through pumping it along a pipeline; forming part of a boom of the plant.

    ReplyDelete
  24. At university and in life, we often face tasks that we cannot accomplish on our own due to a lack of knowledge or skills. Fortunately, there are people who can easily perform any task. The team of the service of writing works https://essaywriter.org/ is really prepared. They will make any task qualitatively and in time. So contact them, you will not regret it!

    ReplyDelete
  25. At this point you can say that the progress is going smooth and making its way for the right direction!

    Mr callum from best assignment writers online

    ReplyDelete
  26. I am glad to see this brilliant post, all the details are very helpful and useful for us, keep up to good work. Buy a suitable car on used cars for sale

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thanks to brazilian brides, I met my future Brazilian wife a couple of years ago. Before this meeting I tried for a long time, but I could not find a decent girl. Then I found the brazilian brides and all my business went up. I started to know and understand girls. It gave me a huge advantage in my relationship.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This was not my first time to use a writing help for my assignments. But what I really like about buy an essays service is their clarity. From the site structure to the order form to the inquiry processing routine - everything is systematized and precise. I felt confident about my choice from the very first moment.

    ReplyDelete