Hello all and Happy Holidays!
First off, I hope all of you have had a good holiday season thus far and that you are all with loved ones enjoying a relaxing vacation. I have taken a few days to celebrate here myself with a couple of other volunteers in my nearby regional capital (Atakpamé) and thus have internet access. I do have to say, however, that it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without freezing windshields, snowmen, and an overweight jolly white man (all of which are hard to find here in Togo). Despite the lack of that “Christmas feeling” I am accustomed to, we gave a valiant effort to make an Americanized Christmas dinner…the menu consisted of a pasta with red sauce (a.k.a canned tomato paste), cheese sandwiches (we splurged on the cheese), salad, and cookies! It was successful but needless to say I overate and got sick (I think it was the cheese- the first dairy I had had in a few months).
I am now at post by myself trying to cope with the many stresses (emotional, physical, and psychological) of living on my own in an African village. My Togolese Village is called Datcha and is actually not as villageoise as most. It is located directly off the route nationale (Togo’s main highway) that transverses the country north to south. Because of its location to the highway and its mere 10 km distance from Atakpamé, it has electricity and the amenities thereof (like cold drinks). Datcha was also once home to a pagne (or cotton clothing material) factory that employed more than 1,000 Togolese and was a relatively stable economic influx for the community. Unfortunately, the factory has since been shut down, and although Datcha has enjoyed some lasting benefits from the factory’s economic development, it has also left certain populations in Datcha devastatedly unemployed.
The integration and familiarization process in my community has been slow-going and stressful but not altogether futile. I have made a few friends and have felt a little more comfortable than when I first arrived. The hardest part of my first three weeks has been the realization of just how hard my service will be (and that realization hasn’t even been completely fulfilled). All I can do is take one day at a time and hope for an eventual successful integration that will facilitate community organizing and development work I am passionate about starting. Another difficulty is the understanding that the work here will not be at all what I’ve expected- in fact, all I can expect is the unexpected. I’ve realized that a shift of what exactly counts as work is in order as well. There will be some days that having conversations with villagers and eating Togolese pâte (corn mush) with my hands will be the only “work” that I am tangibly accomplishing.
It hasn’t been any help that my home is not at all a comforting place to return home to…yet. It is three cement rooms that have the potential for comfort except for the fact that I have no furniture. I have been forced to start from scratch setting up a home in Datcha, Togo. It’s nothing like the U.S. where one trip to target or a furniture mart could make things a little homier. Instead I have to order things from the carpenter, haggle prices, and in some cases help find quality wood for construction. Actually, that is a decent portrait of how things work here in general. Even the most straightforward things (or the most taken for granted tasks) have accumulated numerous steps. For example, going to the bathroom consists of the following steps:
1. A good ten minutes in advance is needed to prepare for the task.
2. Find bucket and make your way over to the well.
3. Fetch a bucket of water from the well and carry 50m over to the latrine.
4. If needed find toilet paper (or the equivalent) for sanitary needs.
5. Throw away toilet paper as the latrine toilet is not equipped for any unnecessary excess material.
6. Do your business…but don’t walk away quite yet.
7. Take the bucket and place over your head and pour, with force, into the latrine toilet to create a flush reaction.
8. Repeat steps 2,3, and 7 until the resulting water in the toilet is clear and sure not to attract out-of-the-ordinary pests.
9. After several toilet visits it is then necessary to burn your TP and other trash you have accumulated because unfortunately it is the only alternative to proper waste disposal (the other being lleaving heaps of toxic waste sitting at your doorstep).
In other, more exciting news, Peace Corps volunteers made an obscure media appearance after our swear-in ceremony at the U.S. ambassador’s house a few weeks ago. Check out the link below and look for me in the picture…I am turning to my left and have short hair (it was way too hot) with a colorful Togolese complet (dress).
http://www.republicoftogo.com/central.php?o=9&s=0&d=3&i=2803
Hopefully soon I will be able to put up a few pictures and tell you a little more about my daily life in village. I am still figuring out life myself, however, and once I have a little more of a grasp on things (and emotional stability) I will attempt, once again, to enlighten the masses.
Thanks for all the emails and letters- you all have become my inspiration here in Togo. I love and miss you all.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
The First
I hope my first ever Togo blog post finds you all in good health, high spirits, and friendly anticipation. My access to internet has been limited/non-existent these first two months but I hope to be in better communication in the next few weeks.
My life here thus far has been very busy. Officially, my days are filled with language, technical, and cultural training. Unofficially my days are filled with scrambling with French/Ewe/Kotokoli, learning about natural pesticides (or the technique du jour), and eating fou-fou (pounded manioc) with my hands and my host mother. My French is coming along and now I have progressed to learning a local Togolese language (one of 40-some) that will hopefully help with integration in my future village. Overall, I am happy, well-fed, and healthy...however, there is a constant sense of overwhelm-dom with what I've learned/experienced, what I still need to learn/experience, and all I want to share with you.
Before I start I would like to offer a general disclaimer/promise for my future blog-posts:
In no way will these public musings be consistently grammatically and/or politically correct, insightful and/or intelligent, nor funny and/or thoughtful, though at times there should be some of each. I am confident, nonetheless, that they can give a glimpse into my life here in Togo or as a 1960s tourism poster so lovingly called it: "L'afrique en miniature."
--------------------------------------------------
Take comfort in the fact that as the seasons change in the U.S from cold to colder (especially my boos in Minnesota), here in Togo it is a consistent "really hot & humid." Although I think I have adjusted slightly to the climate I am continually amazed at my ability to sweat through a t-shirt within seconds. The sweating and perpetual drinking of water by the "yovos" (as us foreigners are lovingly referred to here) are always two things that make the locals chuckle.
The end of my training is coming to a close and on December 8th I will officially swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). Everyday that passes I feel more at ease with life in Ago Nyogbo (my training site village- north west of Lome). The people there know "le corps de la paix" and are friendly and receptive to our mission here in Togo. It will be sad to leave the village not only because of my fellow peace corps frieds, but also because I really enjoy my host family (hopefully soon I can put up photos). I live with a woman who is known around town as "Afrikiko" which is also the name of the local bar she owns. She is a big woman (in size and grandeur) and well respected in the village. In our compound is the bartender (Kodjo), her "brother" (Christoph), two other young girls (Ellie and Evelyn) who do the domestic work (one of which has a 1 year old child Alfredo), and the numerous villagers and/or passer-bys who stop in for a cold drink or a quick shot of the local "boisson" sodabi. Afrikiko runs a tight ship and by tight I mean she won't let me do anything on my own. It was an upward battle to tell her thatI am perfectly capable of getting my own water from the well and washing my own laundry...the more I persisted the more they thought it funny and absurd that I was willing to do the work. I finally finagled ways around her rule by getting up really early to do my laundry or sneaking off to fetch water on my own. Now my family is very excited about my self-sufficient Togolese ways and I am feeling more like a part of the family than ever.
Togolese culture is very different than American. Later, when I hope to have more free time/access to internet, I am planning on writing about the culture here as I have experienced it. The aspect I have become increasingly aware of here is how the relaticely recent history of the country has shaped both its culture and relations/reactions to foreigners. Togo has a unique and complex past (not unlike many African countries), in that it has been colonized by both the Germans and the French...Colonization has forever affected Togo for better or worse- there is absolutely no way around it- and that history will inevitably influence my service here as a white American.
I had my firs serious bout with illness last week . It was not fun. Serious excretion of bodily fluids resulted in a 4 hour stint in my nearby latrine (about 25 meters from my room), followed by a fever and stomach pain. The whole mess didn't last more than 24 hours making me believe that it was just something I ate and nothing long-term or very serious. However at the time all I could think of was "I'm going to die and if not- I want to..." Being sick, even for a short bit, has been one of the hardest things here. Life is emotional and exhausting enough that an illness of any sort s enough to make even the most dedicated of us to say "get me the hell out of here." Nonetheless I am thankful to have experienced my "first time" and now hope that other volunteers in my group who are sick have fast and quick recoveries.
Last week we had a Natural Resource Managment (NRM) field trip all the way up north through the country. The country varies vastly from North to South and it really reinforced the idea that no one peace corps volunteer here in country will have a similar experience in country. In the north something called "harmattan" has just started with the end of the rainy season. The vegetation has become brown and the problem with water conservation and use has quickly followed. We learned as saw a lot including: beekeeping, traditional soap making, grafted mango trees, contour lines (to prevent soil/land erosion), solar cook ovens, and a women's weaving cooperative. All of these technical training sessions are for our knowledge to use in our future posts. One of the most exciting things we have learned about is the moringa tree- please take a look at the link as there is way too much to say about the tree here.
I have barely scratched the surface of my experience thus far but I am exhausted and tired and ready for a repose (rest). Those of you who know me well would be very surprised/astonished to know that here I have trouble sleeping past 6am (due to the animals, sun, schedule, and fact that I go to bed at about 8:30pm). Anyway, my first post must come to an anti-climactic close, without any grand conclusion or poetic flow.You are always in my thoughts and I miss you all. Thanks to those of you who have written to me- letters literally make my day (and take about 3 weeks). Get excited for future posts and leave me feedback (or requests/ questions).
Love and Peace.
My life here thus far has been very busy. Officially, my days are filled with language, technical, and cultural training. Unofficially my days are filled with scrambling with French/Ewe/Kotokoli, learning about natural pesticides (or the technique du jour), and eating fou-fou (pounded manioc) with my hands and my host mother. My French is coming along and now I have progressed to learning a local Togolese language (one of 40-some) that will hopefully help with integration in my future village. Overall, I am happy, well-fed, and healthy...however, there is a constant sense of overwhelm-dom with what I've learned/experienced, what I still need to learn/experience, and all I want to share with you.
Before I start I would like to offer a general disclaimer/promise for my future blog-posts:
In no way will these public musings be consistently grammatically and/or politically correct, insightful and/or intelligent, nor funny and/or thoughtful, though at times there should be some of each. I am confident, nonetheless, that they can give a glimpse into my life here in Togo or as a 1960s tourism poster so lovingly called it: "L'afrique en miniature."
--------------------------------------------------
Take comfort in the fact that as the seasons change in the U.S from cold to colder (especially my boos in Minnesota), here in Togo it is a consistent "really hot & humid." Although I think I have adjusted slightly to the climate I am continually amazed at my ability to sweat through a t-shirt within seconds. The sweating and perpetual drinking of water by the "yovos" (as us foreigners are lovingly referred to here) are always two things that make the locals chuckle.
The end of my training is coming to a close and on December 8th I will officially swear in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). Everyday that passes I feel more at ease with life in Ago Nyogbo (my training site village- north west of Lome). The people there know "le corps de la paix" and are friendly and receptive to our mission here in Togo. It will be sad to leave the village not only because of my fellow peace corps frieds, but also because I really enjoy my host family (hopefully soon I can put up photos). I live with a woman who is known around town as "Afrikiko" which is also the name of the local bar she owns. She is a big woman (in size and grandeur) and well respected in the village. In our compound is the bartender (Kodjo), her "brother" (Christoph), two other young girls (Ellie and Evelyn) who do the domestic work (one of which has a 1 year old child Alfredo), and the numerous villagers and/or passer-bys who stop in for a cold drink or a quick shot of the local "boisson" sodabi. Afrikiko runs a tight ship and by tight I mean she won't let me do anything on my own. It was an upward battle to tell her thatI am perfectly capable of getting my own water from the well and washing my own laundry...the more I persisted the more they thought it funny and absurd that I was willing to do the work. I finally finagled ways around her rule by getting up really early to do my laundry or sneaking off to fetch water on my own. Now my family is very excited about my self-sufficient Togolese ways and I am feeling more like a part of the family than ever.
Togolese culture is very different than American. Later, when I hope to have more free time/access to internet, I am planning on writing about the culture here as I have experienced it. The aspect I have become increasingly aware of here is how the relaticely recent history of the country has shaped both its culture and relations/reactions to foreigners. Togo has a unique and complex past (not unlike many African countries), in that it has been colonized by both the Germans and the French...Colonization has forever affected Togo for better or worse- there is absolutely no way around it- and that history will inevitably influence my service here as a white American.
I had my firs serious bout with illness last week . It was not fun. Serious excretion of bodily fluids resulted in a 4 hour stint in my nearby latrine (about 25 meters from my room), followed by a fever and stomach pain. The whole mess didn't last more than 24 hours making me believe that it was just something I ate and nothing long-term or very serious. However at the time all I could think of was "I'm going to die and if not- I want to..." Being sick, even for a short bit, has been one of the hardest things here. Life is emotional and exhausting enough that an illness of any sort s enough to make even the most dedicated of us to say "get me the hell out of here." Nonetheless I am thankful to have experienced my "first time" and now hope that other volunteers in my group who are sick have fast and quick recoveries.
Last week we had a Natural Resource Managment (NRM) field trip all the way up north through the country. The country varies vastly from North to South and it really reinforced the idea that no one peace corps volunteer here in country will have a similar experience in country. In the north something called "harmattan" has just started with the end of the rainy season. The vegetation has become brown and the problem with water conservation and use has quickly followed. We learned as saw a lot including: beekeeping, traditional soap making, grafted mango trees, contour lines (to prevent soil/land erosion), solar cook ovens, and a women's weaving cooperative. All of these technical training sessions are for our knowledge to use in our future posts. One of the most exciting things we have learned about is the moringa tree- please take a look at the link as there is way too much to say about the tree here.
I have barely scratched the surface of my experience thus far but I am exhausted and tired and ready for a repose (rest). Those of you who know me well would be very surprised/astonished to know that here I have trouble sleeping past 6am (due to the animals, sun, schedule, and fact that I go to bed at about 8:30pm). Anyway, my first post must come to an anti-climactic close, without any grand conclusion or poetic flow.You are always in my thoughts and I miss you all. Thanks to those of you who have written to me- letters literally make my day (and take about 3 weeks). Get excited for future posts and leave me feedback (or requests/ questions).
Love and Peace.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Letter to Family and Friends from Peace Corps
Dear Families,
Greetings from the Togo Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the Togo training program. Over the years we have received many questions from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.
1. Irregular Communication.
(Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Lomé the capital of Togo).
The mail service in Togo is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take from three to four weeks for mail coming from Togo to arrive in the United States via the Togolese mail system. From a Volunteer’s post, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Lomé. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and mailed through the U.S. postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.
We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office.
Peace Corps Togo has established “The Lomé Limo” which runs up and down the country monthly, delivers mail, medical supplies, and sometimes volunteers or staff to central sites along the national road.
Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is often good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member gets sick that he or she has not been attended to. The city of Lomé has medical and dental facilities, and there is a Peace Corps Medical Officer there as well. Most Volunteers can reach Lomé in less than one day’s time. Many Volunteers also have access to a telephone so that they can call our Medical Office. In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Lomé and is cared for by our Medical Unit. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Togo, he/she will be medically evacuated to South Africa or to the United States. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.
If for some reason your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for at least one month, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps in Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470 (or direct: 202-692-1470). The OSS will then call the Peace Corps Director in Lomé, and ask her to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately, so that the Volunteer can be informed by a member of Peace Corps/Togo staff.
2. Telephone Calls.
The telephone system in Togo has fairly reliable service to the United States. In the interior of the country, where most of our Volunteers are located, the system is less reliable. Most Volunteers have access to a telephone in or nearby their site.
When dialing direct to Togo from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 228 (the country code) + the number. Volunteers generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is much less expensive than calling the U.S. from Togo. Many volunteers decide to purchase cellphones once they arrive in Togo, but they may not always have regular reception at their site.
The Togo Desk in Washington, D.C. usually calls the Peace Corps office in Lomé at least once a week. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone. If you have an urgent message, however, and have exhausted your other means (regarding travel plans, etc.), you can call the Desk, and the message will be relayed.
3. Sending Packages.
Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though many Volunteers sometimes choose to get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:
Laura Groggel, PCV
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 3194
Lomé, Togo West Africa
It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Packages can be sent via surface mail (2-3 weeks arrival time) or by ship (4-6 months). The difference in cost can be a factor in deciding which method to utilize. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) does operate in Lomé, but costs are very expensive. If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to the Country Director, s/c Corps de la Paix, 48 Rue de Rossignols, Quartier Kodjoviakopé, Lomé, Togo. The telephone number for the Peace Corps office in Togo is (228) 221-0614, should DHL need this information. If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed. For more information about DHL, please call their toll free number, 1-800-CALL-DHL, or visit their web site at www.dhl.com. Please be aware that there is a customs fee for all DHL packages sent to Volunteers. For each DHL package, the Volunteer will be taxed 10,000 CFA (roughly US$20).
Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a prepaid ticket in the States; they will telex their Lomé office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Many airlines (e.g., KLM, Air France, Ghana Airways, Air Togo) fly into Lomé or Accra, but each has its own policy on pre-paid tickets. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via DHL as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.
Trying to send cash or airline tickets is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange receipt of it. Some Volunteers use Western Union, which has an office in Lomé. Volunteers will also be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call his/her family when they arrive in the States should airline tickets need to be sent back to Togo.
4. E-mail.
There is fairly reliable e-mail service in Togo with cyber cafes in most large towns. Connections can be very slow and time consuming as well as costly. E-mail, however, may become the preferred method of communication between you and your family member in Togo. Not all Volunteers have access to e-mail on a daily basis but they should be able to read and send messages at least once a month. As with other means of communication, do not be alarmed if you do not receive daily or weekly messages. Unless in Lomé at the office, Volunteers have to pay for internet time at cyber cafes and this can be a slow or expensive process depending on the connection at the café.
We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. We understand how frustrating it is to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. Please feel free to contact us at the Togo Desk in Washington, DC, if you have further questions. Our phone number is (800) 424-8580, ext. 2326/2325, or locally at (202) 692-2326/2325.
Greetings from the Togo Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the Togo training program. Over the years we have received many questions from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.
1. Irregular Communication.
(Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Lomé the capital of Togo).
The mail service in Togo is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take from three to four weeks for mail coming from Togo to arrive in the United States via the Togolese mail system. From a Volunteer’s post, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Lomé. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and mailed through the U.S. postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.
We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office.
Peace Corps Togo has established “The Lomé Limo” which runs up and down the country monthly, delivers mail, medical supplies, and sometimes volunteers or staff to central sites along the national road.
Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is often good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member gets sick that he or she has not been attended to. The city of Lomé has medical and dental facilities, and there is a Peace Corps Medical Officer there as well. Most Volunteers can reach Lomé in less than one day’s time. Many Volunteers also have access to a telephone so that they can call our Medical Office. In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Lomé and is cared for by our Medical Unit. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Togo, he/she will be medically evacuated to South Africa or to the United States. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.
If for some reason your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for at least one month, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps in Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470 (or direct: 202-692-1470). The OSS will then call the Peace Corps Director in Lomé, and ask her to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately, so that the Volunteer can be informed by a member of Peace Corps/Togo staff.
2. Telephone Calls.
The telephone system in Togo has fairly reliable service to the United States. In the interior of the country, where most of our Volunteers are located, the system is less reliable. Most Volunteers have access to a telephone in or nearby their site.
When dialing direct to Togo from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 228 (the country code) + the number. Volunteers generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is much less expensive than calling the U.S. from Togo. Many volunteers decide to purchase cellphones once they arrive in Togo, but they may not always have regular reception at their site.
The Togo Desk in Washington, D.C. usually calls the Peace Corps office in Lomé at least once a week. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone. If you have an urgent message, however, and have exhausted your other means (regarding travel plans, etc.), you can call the Desk, and the message will be relayed.
3. Sending Packages.
Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though many Volunteers sometimes choose to get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:
Laura Groggel, PCV
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 3194
Lomé, Togo West Africa
It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Packages can be sent via surface mail (2-3 weeks arrival time) or by ship (4-6 months). The difference in cost can be a factor in deciding which method to utilize. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) does operate in Lomé, but costs are very expensive. If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to the Country Director, s/c Corps de la Paix, 48 Rue de Rossignols, Quartier Kodjoviakopé, Lomé, Togo. The telephone number for the Peace Corps office in Togo is (228) 221-0614, should DHL need this information. If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed. For more information about DHL, please call their toll free number, 1-800-CALL-DHL, or visit their web site at www.dhl.com. Please be aware that there is a customs fee for all DHL packages sent to Volunteers. For each DHL package, the Volunteer will be taxed 10,000 CFA (roughly US$20).
Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a prepaid ticket in the States; they will telex their Lomé office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Many airlines (e.g., KLM, Air France, Ghana Airways, Air Togo) fly into Lomé or Accra, but each has its own policy on pre-paid tickets. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via DHL as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.
Trying to send cash or airline tickets is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange receipt of it. Some Volunteers use Western Union, which has an office in Lomé. Volunteers will also be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call his/her family when they arrive in the States should airline tickets need to be sent back to Togo.
4. E-mail.
There is fairly reliable e-mail service in Togo with cyber cafes in most large towns. Connections can be very slow and time consuming as well as costly. E-mail, however, may become the preferred method of communication between you and your family member in Togo. Not all Volunteers have access to e-mail on a daily basis but they should be able to read and send messages at least once a month. As with other means of communication, do not be alarmed if you do not receive daily or weekly messages. Unless in Lomé at the office, Volunteers have to pay for internet time at cyber cafes and this can be a slow or expensive process depending on the connection at the café.
We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. We understand how frustrating it is to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. Please feel free to contact us at the Togo Desk in Washington, DC, if you have further questions. Our phone number is (800) 424-8580, ext. 2326/2325, or locally at (202) 692-2326/2325.
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