Togo

The Togolese Republic is a West African country, bordered by Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. At its broadest point Togo is less than 90 miles wide. Two-thirds of the country is grassy plains, while the rest is forest, with coconut plantations and lagoons along the coastline. There are two seasons: rainy season starts in March and ends in October, followed by dry season. Togo’s economy is dependent on subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for around 60% of the workforce. Their top exports are cotton, phosphates, coffee and cocoa. Togo is among the world’s largest producers of phosphate.

Stories in Togo

When former sponsored child Aïcha was invited to enroll in Plan Internatioal Togo’s vocational training program, she eagerly accepted. After attending the initial session, Aïcha decided to learn about poultry farming. Her family didn’t approve of her decision — in Togo, that was considered a male profession.

“From the moment I decided to be a poultry breeder, I received criticism, but I surpassed all that and took all my courage to get here today,” Aïcha says.

At the end of the training, Aïcha received a kit to help her start her business, which included 250 chicks, vaccinations, a feeder, trough, wheelbarrow and building materials to construct a chicken coop. Now, 230 of her hens are already laying eggs, and she has big plans for the future.

“I want to become the main protein supplier in my area and start a market garden with some livestock,” Aïcha says. “I can’t find the words to express my gratitude to Plan International, without whom I would currently be working as a domestic servant or may already be married. Today, more than ever I understand the importance of sponsorship.”

Learn more about how sponsorship changes lives

Ilétou lives with her family in the Maritime region of Togo, an area strongly shaped by social traditions and strict gender norms, which have only been heightened during the pandemic.

Togo has been in a state of emergencsince March 2020, with response mechanisms implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. For girls especially, the impact has been devastating. Unable to keep up with their schoolwork at home, many have dropped out to help their families survive. And many will never be able to return to school.

Aware of the challenges affecting girls in her area, Ilétou tries her best to act as a role model. She’s determined to continue her studies and hopes to one day become a doctor. And she was excited to take part in an event to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, where girls engaged in meaningful conversations with influential women leaders in Togo, including government ministers, parliament ministers, United Nations agencies and influencers.

“For me, this was the first time to meet all these leaders and we have been given the chance to express ourselves and speak with them,” Ilétou says. “I had the chance to meet all the ministers and women who inspired me a lot. I am very happy!”

Ilétou will soon be joining Plan International Togo’s Youth Advisory Panel, and she already has ideas about future initiatives to help promote girls’ rights and gender equality. “I hope there will be other intergenerational dialogues like this one which can benefit other girls as well, but this time with male ministers so that everyone understands that feminist leadership is not just something up in the air and does not only concern women.”

Meet more young people advocating for change

Fatouma and Koumba are both deaf. The eldest of six children, their father is a salesman and their mother makes carpets. Their parents don’t know sign language, so conversations are short and limited to the essentials.

Fatouma attends a school for children who are deaf and Koumba attends a local college. But now, with schools, universities and learning centers in Togo closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the girls are unable to access their usual sources of information.

“Things are changing, and deaf people are being left behind,” Fatouma says.

Plan International Togo is working with parents and guardians to ensure children have the tools they need to continue learning at home, using alternative and innovative distance learning methods. We’re also reaching out to children and young people, particularly girls and those with disabilities, to help them become more informed about how to protect themselves from COVID-19, as well as other potential consequences of lockdown, such as increased risk of violence while confined to their homes.

Protect girls like Fatouma and Koumba

Plan International has been working in Togo since 1988.

https://youtu.be/3Kw3g-SK304

Plan stats in Togo

Office & operations

Plan Togo’s country office is located in Lome, with program unit offices in Sokode, Kara, Maritime and Atakpame.

Technical areas:

Education, skills and work, health and protection.

Number of sponsored children in FY20:

As of June 2020, people like you sponsor 28,219 children in Togo through Plan International.

When you sponsor a child through through Plan, you form an incredible friendship.

You can exchange letters with your sponsored child

Send Sunny Days magazine to your sponsored child

Sponsor a child with Plan International USA

But that’s just the beginning. With Plan, you also have the unique opportunity to:

Send her birthday gifts and cards.

Give her special holiday presents called Little Treasures.

Subscribe her to Plan’s educational kids’ magazine, Sunny Days.

— Visit her (when travel restrictions are lifted), with individual travel assistance from us.

Each gift offering is safely hand-delivered by us, and given to your child with personalized cards from you. It’s likely that the child you sponsor will have never seen anything like these gifts, and they’re available year-round to make the bond between you and your sponsored child even stronger.

Meet a child to sponsor