News Visiting Togo

For 10 days Miriam and Carina are visiting our team of the URBIS FOUNDATION in Togo. We spend the first days in the capital Lomé, together with Mr. Adam, the executive director of the URBIS FOUNDATION TOGO (UFT), and Chérif, the UFT representative stationed there.

We use the time in Lomé to visit partner organisations and institutions such as the German Embassy. In addition, we meet with students who receive a scholarship from URBIS and discuss their new ideas for the "Club Solaire". The "Club Solaire" consists of our scholarship holders and organises events and activities several times a year to inspire enthusiasm for renewable energies and environmental protection. After two full days in Lomé, we finally set off for Sokodé, a city in the central region of Togo and headquarters of UFT, on May 1^st.

It is particularly exciting for us to see how May 1^st is celebrated in Togo: with street parades, music and an overall good atmosphere. In the evening we finally arrive in Sokodé and are welcomed by our colleagues, hosting a small party.

The following days in Sokodé have a high workload. We are happy to visit projects and ongoing activities. One highlight is the visit to our vocational farm CPIA: we not only get to know the new human inhabitants (our new farm pupils), but also the new animal arrivals: turkeys and sheep have been kept on CPIA for several weeks. Moreover, the meetings with our local project partners and the exchange with our Togolese colleagues bring us a lot of joy. Before it is time to head back to Lomé, the whole UFT Team gets together to work on new ideas and discuss important challenges in a creative and inspiring workshop.

The last days in Lomé pass quickly. Once again, we meet different partners and develop project ideas together. On the evening of May 8^th, it's time: we get back on the plane and say goodbye to Togo – taking with us many experiences and ideas for future projects.