HAPPY Holidays...

I had heard that Togo was—reportedly—mécontent du vie (unhappy about life) from other volunteers in the past. Though at that time I didn't know that it was the prime example of a poor, unhappy little country; that is, at least, if I am interpreting this figure from The Economist correctly:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/daily_chart_1

Here's to celebrating a very happy holiday season at home...

Leave it to a Beaver to Build a Duck Raft...

Integrated aquaculture/agriculture is one tool among many to combat the rampant problem of food security in the developing world. The idea is simple: Instead of having one piece of land devoted to one thing (i.e.-a rice paddy, a fish pond, a livestock enclosure), you combine various types of food production in a way that benefits the harvest, while also conserving land.

There are many examples, from the simple to the complex, but they almost always involve the utilization of livestock for manure. In my village—where there was already a stocked fish pond when I arrived­—I have been working with the groupement piscicultutre to try, among other things, to improve the water quality of the pond. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by combining the fish farming with appropriate animal husbandry, usually by creating an enclosure for the animals either in, or directly next to the pond. The idea is that the animals will create both manure as well as lots of food scraps that the fish will then eat, thus creating a much needed nitrogen source that will speed up the rate of growth. This technique is most popular in SE Asia, where often times large fish farming centers feature pig, duck, goose, chicken and other husbandry.

I quickly became a fan of the scheme, not only because of the already mentioned benefits of integrated aquaculture, but also because it was something that is rarely, if ever, tried in Togo. Having worked with farmers here for over a year now I can say that one of the hardest obstacles in the way of food security is the overarching sameness of food production here. The majority of the Togolese population farms or owns livestock or both, and yet there are only a few individuals I know that have actively searched for creative new farming methods to implement. With that in mind, I wanted to introduce a way of creating and harvesting food that was completely unique—not necessarily so that it could be replicated by everyone, but so that locals could see that its always worth trying something new!

After researching I decided that I would introduce ducks into the fish pond, mostly because they aren’t incredibly expensive, and they are quite efficient producers of waste. Yet, there is only a couple feet of flat land next to the pond, so a typical little land structure for them to sleep and nest in wouldn’t be appropriate. Instead, I decided I would venture way outside the box and design a covered raft that would be set afloat in the pond. I realize that sounds like a pretty straight forward project, but I really can’t stress enough how new the idea of a raft was for my town. Indeed, until the raft was actually put in, I don’t think anyone actually knew what I was concocting; I told them it was a raft, but apparently the French word for raft isn’t exactly universally understood.

Now, though, since having stocked the raft with ducks a few weeks ago, I’ve been receiving daily visitors curious and usually surprised about the élévage sur l’eau. I’m not done yet, though: next up is a bamboo pier for ducklings (easier access) and I’d like to eventually try my hand at pig rearing.

Anyway, here are a few pictures for you to get an idea, and if you’re more curious about specifics then leave a question and I’ll be sure to get back to you!

Take care,
J

Chez Moi...et la Jardin.

My compound...my house is straight ahead in the corner (as you can see it isn't a mud hut!)

The kitchen/foyer...my drinking water is under my big filter on the left hand side...my stove is at the far right next to the orange gas tank.

I probably should have made my bed for this pic, but oh well...

This is still in the bedroom, don't be deceived, there are only two little rooms.




Et La Jardin...

This was taken after I first cut back all the brush at the garden; since it was dry season the weeds didn't grow back right away...

but as soon as the rains came the weeds shot back up and the winds of the first big storm blew over that tree from the previous picture. In the foreground, by the way, is the first compost pile I made.



This is a part of the actual garden section of my land. Its hard to see but there was a ton of water inbetween the beds...the day before this pic was taken the entire garden was flooded. In Africa, when it comes to waiting for the rains, be careful what you wish for.

Eventually, though, the rains let up enough for me to get a decent sunflower seed harvest!

Just so everyone can see a picture with me in it, here is one of me helping out the rice farmers.

Sheep Testicles Taste like Licorice...

In regards to the international culinary scene, Americans generally keep to a short list of players, with adventurous eating opportunities only presenting themselves so often. Moreover, the standard choices for ‘ethnic’ fare—Italian, Chinese, Mexican, and the like—are generally so dialed down and ‘Americanized’ that finding truly authentic dishes can become a challenge in even the most cosmopolitan of settings.

Yet there are those who avidly search, and quickly discover, the hidden morsels of the gastronomic world—the meals that come only after ordering off of a menu you barely understand from someone who you may understand even less. Fortunately for Americans, though, you don’t have to travel too far to find such experiences. There are eye opening dining options in even the smallest of towns in our country, so long as you’re willing to look.

I realized this some time ago, and had the fortune of being raised outside of a city where eating, and to a lesser extent eating unique fare, is quite encouraged. Still, though, for the many times I went looking for ethnic food, I can honestly say I never so much as came across a West African option. To even the most daring and/or knowledgeable of eaters, the food of this region is very much an unknown.

I suppose it has something to do with marketing. Most in the developed world see Africa as a place of hardship, where even if you’re not starving, you’re certainly not eating that much.

In reality the proper preparation of a good meal is just as important here as in America, and I have honestly found that once you get past an initial awkwardness, you find meals that you absolutely crave.

Of course, I’m not talking about a five course bourgeois feast either. Togolese fare (and by extension the food of this larger area) is quite simple, and largely based on the agricultural calendar.

The vast majority of the time a meal includes a carbohydrate/cereal/grain base with a sauce. I feel like 9 times out of 10 the base is pate, which is a corn meal porridge that is left to solidify; the closest thing to an American would be grits or Italian polenta. It is usually served with a green leaf sauce made with spinach or chard like leaves, red palm oil, and often with okra.

Rice is also common, especially in areas where it is able to be grown, such as where I live. It is often eaten with similar leaf sauces, but is most popular with a spicy tomato or peanut sauce.

Fufu is probably the most popular dish and is most often ate on Sundays or when money is available. It is basically mashed yams, which are pounded with long poles in a deep wooden pestle until it is sort of coagulated. To a newcomer it’s really nothing like mashed potatoes in America but to me it has taken on the same comfort food role, and is thus sorely missed when yams are out of season as they are now. If meat is available locals make a delicious gravy to go along with it that is spiced in my region with fresh peppercorn (not dried). If there is no meat then peanut, tomato, or eggplant sauce is substituted.

These are all typical family meals, but Togo also has a very consistent and somewhat odd availability of Western dishes. In most larger towns there are cafeterias along the roads that you can buy the same few things: spaghetti, couscous, and egg omelet sandwiches. Without fail, there are always egg sandwiches smothered in mayonnaise and fried with more oil than anyone should possibly need to fry a couple eggs. Along the street there is also a consistent supply of beans and rice, grilled corn, peanuts, fried tofu, rice porridge and many types or fruits and veggies.

I could go on more but will leave it there…

À la prochain!

J

ps- those sheep testicles, if you could believe it, were rather delicious…

An Introduction to Akposso

After having been here for a decent bit of time I’ve sort of become habituated to speaking in a different language, but that isn’t to say that the difference in language is a small matter in my life. Indeed, to live in an African village is to face huge language barriers every day. Sometimes, the hard part isn’t even to know HOW speak the language, it’s know which language to speak in the first place!

Togo may be a typical small West African nation in most ways…and, truthfully, it doesn’t have much to really brag about in the region. Yet, up till this point I’ve yet to hear of many countries that come close in the realm of ethnic diversity.

In a space the size of West Virginia there exist just under 50 unique ethnic groups…every one with their own language. In my village, alone, there are three major ethnic groups: Akposso, Ewe, and Kabiye. Sometimes they know each other’s language, sometime they have to rely on French to communicate.

Village life is one built on the saluer (to greet, in English). In every language in Togo there is, without fail a fairly elaborate way to address/greet/say hi to someone. They usually all depend on the time of day or whether or not you’ve seen that person recently; and they are all generally of a call and response nature.

I’d explain it more but I’ll just dive in with some examples from the language of my neighborhood: Akposso.

The morning saluation, as in if this is your first time seeing each other that day, BUT you saw each other yesterday:

Call---Response

Ivua---Ivua
Adie---Adie
Ara/Arawo---Ara/Arawo

That’s an easy one since its just call and response, to ask how someone is doing, and say that you are doing good is also pretty easy:

Eh-vay---Ey
(Ey, pronounced like the letter A, is yes in many of the southern Togolese languages)

In most local languages there is also an all-important word for Welcome, in Akposso it’s:

A-Knee-Say-Oh
OR
Yabo

To ask someone how their family is you would ask:
Ee-Doo-New-Olay

Which is answered with:
Olay

If you haven’t seen someone in a while it would be customary to say hello first, then say welcome and finally ask them how the family is:

Ivua---Ivua
Ee-Doo-New-Olay---Olay
A-Knee-Say-Oh---Yo!

That last Yo! is the shortened response to just about everything, its basically just to show recognition of the greeting.



That’s all for now, don’t want to confuse everyone too much!
J

Hockey...C'est sur glace...Michael Jordan?

Hockey is an awfully difficult sport to explain to an African...I usually am forced to do a little motion with my hands like Im stickhandling, while sweeping the ground with my feet like Im skating.  The result is something a lot like a stage performer dancing with a cane, and nothing at all like the actual thing.  At the root of the problem, I suppose, is that outside of the rare ice cube, there is never any substantial amount of frozen water in Togo...and certainly no one can truly comprehend what it is to be on ice.    

Still, though, my excitement over the last couple weeks has been mounting along with the Blackhawk's slow ascension to the championship, and with it calls from home telling me the news of the latest game (thanks mom).  Being a good Peace Corps volunteer, and wishing to communicate my culture with those around me,  Ive really focused on spreading this good news to my small African community.  Sometimes I get blank stares, most of the time, though, I get remarks about Michael Jordan and the Bulls.  Thats alright, I guess, at least they got the city right!

Now all we need to cap off the week is a US win over England on Saturday (I'm a believer, people)!

I'm in Lome so Ill get another post up tomorrow before I leave, I just wanted to write a little something this evening while I had some time and the Hawks on my mind!

Take care!

J

ps-While Im on the sports topic, What is this I hear of Nebraska joining the Big Ten and half of the Big 12 joining the Pac 10?  I leave for 9 months and now were talking about Texas playing conference games in Corvallis?!  Pull it together USA.

pss-The Beavers would beat Texas in that game by the way...just saying.     

A Few Pictures

Hi all, I don't have much time to actually write much but I wanted to get a few pictures up while Im in Lome doing some work...

My birthday was a few days ago and I naturally went out to one of the better restaurants in a large town near me--I was told that the fish was good at this particular French restaurant, and decided to ask the waiter for it. Generally speaking, though, any restaurant in country will allow you to inspect the menu for quite some time before telling you they don't actually have half the things on it. With this in mind I wasnt too disheartened when he said there was no fish, though the waiter did say that there was a special delicacy on the menu tonight: Agouti, or in English: bush rat. Its really dosent look like a rat, for the record, more like a woodchuck or something--and Ive been dying to have it but havent found it in village, so I jumped on the oppurtunity.

It was, admitedly, just as delicious as the people in my village said it was. The texture of tender beef but taste sort of like pork, with none of the iron like taste of game meat back home.

All in all, one of the best birthday meals Ive ever had...

The main course

Before the feast

And just so everyone can get a better idea of what I'm talking about, here is a link to a national geographic video about Togolese bush rat hunters: enjoy!

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/countries-places/togo/togo_eatingrat.htmlhttp://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/places/countries-places/togo/togo_eatingrat.html

Just a picture from the beach in Ghana during my vacation

A random shot that I like...

Take care!

J

The Gold Coast Upon the Bight.

When I arrived in Togo 7 months ago I had not seen another African nation before. Since then I have seen many scenes across this small strip of a country, and I suppose part of me began to think that the rest of Africa--or at least West Africa-- was pretty similar to at least some part of Togo. The place was touted as "L'Afrique en Miniature" by the government to drag in tourists who wanted to see a nice microcosm of the continent. We have a somewhat large capital city with western amenities, 50k+ of beaches, tropical forests (kind of), grasslands, and once upon a time you could actually find interesting wildlife.

Now, though, my perspective on this place has changed around completely after only three short nights in the glorious wonderland that is Ghana.

I remember soon after I got to post I began asking some older volunteers about recent trips they had taken to get an idea of where I would visit first. The obvious front-runner was Accra and surrounding beaches in Ghana, but the reason why may be different than what you are used to.

"Listen" my friend told me, wide eyed as he described Accra, "they have overpasses"
"Really?!", I said, contemplating the now incredibly complex phenomenon of one road going OVER another road.
"Yeah, like with on-ramps...you gotta see it", he said

To a Peace Corps Volunteer I feel like finding places that are like home, even in just minor aspects is essential. When I drive through the centrale region of Togo and look out the window into flat fields of corn I try and imagine I'm back in the Midwest, driving 80 or 90 back home from school. When I look to the bluffs rising above my village I try and think of the cliffs rising above Clearwater or Watap. If I can trick myself into imagining I'm home, even for the shortest of moments I regain my sense of peace.

Yet, there is no city in Togo that can come close to resembling any true city in America. Lome is nice, don't get me wrong, but the streets are made of sand and the beach is a sewer, were not exactly talking the most posh of destinations. Accra, on the other hand, is a different story entirely. On top of overpasses, the entire road infrastructure is like nothing in Togo. There are artsy iron dividers between street lanes with flower baskets attached, street lamps and traffic signals that actually work, and traffic laws that are--get this-- both enforced and observed. You can get taxis with air conditioning and drivers actually follow regulations on how many people they can put in their cars. Keep in mind Togo taxis are stuffed with 4 in the back and 4 in the front, usually with a side of goats, babies or chickens.

For one night we were sure to stay at the only hotel I know of in the region with an American themed sports bar and TexMex cooking. Our agenda also featured a trip to the local mall--which along with every other mind-blowing reminder of home had a movie theatre, mac store, food court and full supermarket. After that one night in Accra we went to a nearby beach for two nights and stayed at a backpacker-frequented resort that showcased local rasta artisans and traditional drumming and dancing and the like.

All in all it was a perfect little vacation, and luckily I bought the multi-entry visa so I'm most certainly heading back soon! All apologies, though, my computer is acting a little crazy so I was unable to get any pictures onto a flash drive for this update...I wish I could have! Other than that everything is great...I'm off to a conference tomorrow talking about using men across Togo as partners in empowering women, then back to post to move into my new house!

Take care all!
J

Standing Fast

If you search the latest news coming out of Togo on any given day (which I assume all of you do on a regular basis) the headlines usually have little to do with the actual country. For a while the world turned its attention to the tragic attack on Togo’s beloved national soccer team, Les Eperviers (the Sparrow hawks) in Angola. Usually, though, the results on Google are much more soccer, and much less…well, Togo. Typically, stories are just about one player, Emanuel Adebayor: if not the most famous Togolese person in the history of Togo then a close second…and he plays in rainy Manchester, nowhere close to West Africa.

Yet, every few years or so that changes with the arrival of a presidential election and/or protesting of the election—for a brief period the world’s 24/7 news coverage actually touches upon actual happenings inside of Togo. This period came and went about a month ago, with the presidential election being scheduled for February 28th and eventually held after a delay on March 4th. I would highly suggest that you do a quick search online to learn a bit more about the outcome of the election and more importantly the state of Togolese politics, as I really don’t want to get into it much myself.

I’d be remised, though, if I didn’t mention that for a couple weeks I stayed with a friend in my nearby prefecture to avoid any possible disturbances in my village. This was solely a precautionary move and, luckily, nothing happened in my village and outside of some demonstrations in Lomé nothing of significance happened in Togo in general. Again, check out the reports online for more info if you’re interested, or email me for more in-depth observations.

In other news, I found out last week that I have to change houses in my village, and though I know it has something to do with the owner and nothing to do with me, I don’t know much more. For the time being I’m waiting for another house, and though I believe there is one available across the street from my current house I need to wait for the proper maintenance and such. I learned about this at my in-service training actually, a week long conference with the other members of my training group three months after the end of stage. It was sort of an awkward timing to hear about it, really, as I now have all these new ideas from training I want to bring back to village but am sort of pre-occupied with housing issues reminiscent of those from when I first arrived at post.

Speaking of in-service-training I thought all of you might like a better idea of what sort of things we are trained in here; here are a few of the sessions we had:

-How to mix charcoal waste (the powder that falls to the bottom of the bags, which in turn is left all over the road) with something like tapioca, derived from manioc or cassava root, and sawdust to produce a more heat efficient briquette.

-Domestic animal vaccination, which included live chicken demonstrations.

-Permagardening: a rainy season, biointensive take on a standard vegetable garden. Instead of just making separate garden beds or putting plants directly into the earth you make a system of beds around a border bed that works to divert water to holes in the ground next to a thirsty papaya or banana tree. All the beds are given a mixture of compost, ash, and manure and the seeds are sowed especially close, so that you grow more food in a closer space. It’s a good gardening technique for a HIV/AIDS affected families, as it requires less time to tend to.

There was much more, those were just some of the more interesting to me.
The next time I’ll be online will probably be in a couple weeks before I head to Ghana for a small vacation.

I’ll be in Lomé, so hopefully I’ll get a couple pictures up. Until then!

Dysentery Has It's Perks..

Namely hot showers, baths and air conditioning in the Peace Corps infirmary in Lome--which also means an internet connection fast enough to post pictures! Before I post a few, though, I'll briefly touch on my sickness a bit.

Three days ago I was working in the garden clearing some bamboo and trying to avoid a gnarly colony of ants and decided to take a break before lunch and head to the weekly market in a neighboring town for some cabbage and tofu (luxury ingredients for my village). I stopped back at my house to get my moto helmet and when I did I was stricken with horrible indigestion and decided to rest for a while. Within an hour I was incapacitated and vomiting into plastic bags in my bed. After consulting my health literature (see last entry) to see if this qualified as an emergency I called the after-hours health line of the Peace Corps and was told to rest, take some over the counter medicine that I already had and drink water with rehydration salts. By 11 at night I was in no way better and was told by my medical officer to wake up my homologue who lives next to me and have him run out and buy some antibiotics. It should be noted that in Togolese culture this is perfectly appropriate as sick people (especially guests) are looked after quite well, but this also meant that within 20 minutes the entire village would know I was sick and would want to send me well wishes. Luckily it was late enough that I didn't have any visitors coming to check on my health until the next morning...when I was already on my way to finding a car to Lome. After a horrendous taxi trip (worst than the typically horrid taxi trips that I've grown accustomed to), I stumbled into the med unit severely dehydrated, and looking admittedly pretty rough. Yet, it is amazing how your spirits are lifted once you step into air conditioning and taste cold water for the first time in months and I soon perked up. Now I'm just taking some extra tests to make sure that all I have is bacterial dysentery and not parasites or amoebas. All in all, nothing to out of the ordinary here, I should be back at post real soon!

Anyway, here are a few pics from the last couple months:

Me during training teaching junior high aged kids about reforestation

My host mom and I cooking on my last night of training

My village from above the Teak plantation, on the way to the top of the plateau

I took this at a fete that took place in my village at 8:00 in the morning after the government named the town as a new "canton": something like a township in the States. Basically my village will be the government seat or center for the surrounding area: which means more prestige and federal money coming in. The white powder on the lady is baby powder, which is thrown on you by party-goers (myself included). I was awaken by fireworks at sunrise on the day of the fete and when I made my way to where everyone was gathered there was already loads of Palm wine being ceremoniously spilled (and later drank) for the ancestors by one of the local fetish priests (we would call him a witch doctor).

So that is all I can put up for right now, but I'll be back in Lome (healthy hopefully) in a month or two and will post more then! Hope all is well with everyone back home!

J

Il Faut Laiser

As I lay down to write this entry (from my bed—not yet the café), I can’t seem to focus on my task of detailing all that is Togo to you. I’m rather convinced I’ve chipped the enamel of one of my molars and I just can’t stop inspecting it with my cell phone flashlight and mirror.

This time it was the salt…probably pulled straight from the sea, for all I know, it was only 100 franc (a quarter) for a big bag resembling what one sprinkles on their driveway in winter. Usually the culprit is a stray rock in the local rice, or a dried bean in whatever (today there was one in my crushed red pepper).

I’m not too worried about it, though; you can go crazy overanalyzing your health here, flipping through the pages of your peace corps issued health literature every night. I’m making a concerted effort to avoid that…besides, I think dental work beyond cleanings gets you a trip to Senegal, and I’ve heard Dakar is lovely this time of year.

****

At present, my first few months at post are moving along quite leisurely. Eventually I’ll start reporting back news of how I’m saving the environment of Togo and so forth, but for now I’m more occupied with seemingly small projects. I’ve been working a lot on my garden: hiring some kids to clear the dead brush and buying my own coupe-coupe (West African French for machete) and a big hoe, which works as a shovel, rake and incidentally a hammer. In fact, it is apparently quite out of the ordinary to see a white man weaving through the crowd at the big weekly market with such hardware. I don’t know why no one believed me when I told them that I was a farmer.

The garden itself is coming along quite nicely, though I’ve been diligently trying to select which trees and plants I want cut and which I want left for nitrogen-fixing, live fencing and so on and that has been taking up quite a bit of time. I’m also trying to avoid burning the dead brush covering the land (for the betterment of the soil)which is a revolutionary concept for my neighbors who burn the bush quite regularly in order to clear land but also prevent larger fires (which doesn’t work but I’ll save that for now). My land has a nice stand of banana trees which I’ll be able to harvest and an area with some sugar cane that I’ll cut back a bit to build a sort of thatch roofed, pup-tent shaped gazebo where I can set up my hammock. All in all, the privacy and natural setting of my garden is a wonderful change from my rather bustling compound.

****

Two quick updates as I post this from the internet café:
-First, I did partially nick my tooth on that salt, but I wouldn’t call it a chip. Regardless, my next purchase at the marché will be a good sifter!
-Second, I just was able to pick up some big packages here in my regional capital and want to thank those who sent items! A special thank you to my mother for sending meat from home, summer sausage, jerky and any other pork/beef/expensive meat that I can have sent from home blows people’s minds here. I try and tell them about the preservatives that we have in our food that make month long voyages possible, but I soon found out that preservatif apparently means condom in French. People, needles to say, were rather curious about Americans putting condoms in food…

J