What was the problem?
During a visit to Togo in August 2017, a few of the diaspora stayed in Djarkpanga for 3 weeks. The school community approached them to describe a problem with the lack of adequate school classrooms. The diaspora actually visited the community to see the issues for themselves. They saw the areas in which the children were currently doing their learning, in the open air and standing up! These were specifically Sixth Form (Lycee) classrooms. The school community in the local region comprises approximately 2,900 students, with almost 60 teachers. Whilst understanding the difficulties, they advised the local leaders that they would need to go away and see if it is possible to help. If it became possible, then that’s what will happen.
The diaspora were not able to offer any guarantee as the amount of money required was out of reach of their own resources. Some of the extremely poor families also pleaded for help to improve their child’s schooling. The images below show the school in its state at the time of the visit. Normally, when it rains in Togo, the children are sent home to prevent them from getting wet. This causes them to miss schooling and their education suffers. The children’s safety and well-being are also adversely affected if they miss school.
How Did DDDT Help?
Whilst still in Togo, discussions took place to specify the desired outcome, including plans for the building and its potential location. The URGENT need was for 4 classrooms to provide for the Lycee (6th Form) students. It was understood that this wouldn’t accommodate all of the children who need to have a proper classroom, but it would make a big contribution. The diaspora spoke with the Headteacher to find out how all of these students could be accommodated in proper classrooms – the estimated cost was £20,000, based on a survey by a qualified architect. This included all materials, labour and furnishings. Giving the matter further consideration led the diaspora to believe that this request was clearly within the objectives of the diaspora. i.e. to advance the education of children and young people in the local region. In addition, allowing Lycee-level students to achieve more through education would provide lifelong benefits, not only to them directly but also to the wider community.
On their return to the UK, the diaspora members made contact with all their ex-Togo community friends across the world to gain their support with the project. The images of the existing classrooms were shared with these people, together with sharing the vision for how students’ lives could be transformed. Many discussions took place as to how the required funds could be raised. Over time, these friends contributed approximately £10,000, made up of many small donations. Wakibou and Mousaratou, the founders of DDDT, added another £7,000 of their own money, taking the total to £17,000. The decision was then taken for the build of the classrooms to commence. Once some money had been collected for materials this was sent over to enable the physical build to start. Monies were provided at various stages through the project to allow the school buildings to continue. The speed of the build was controlled by available funds; this led to a stop/start scheme being worked through. The building project took 5 months to complete. The physical build would not have been possible without the contributions of approximately 50 volunteers including women and children. The local community really came together for the benefit of the school children.
How Has This Helped People in Djarkpanga?
When the building was completed in 2020, the students were able to move in and start to realise the benefit from vastly improved facilities, improving their educational outcomes for many years to come. The chairs and furnishings were provided later as further monies were collected. The community, teachers and students are delighted that the students’ education can improve, with no students being sent home when it rains (as it does often in Togo).
A review of school facilities since these classrooms were completed suggests that other additions to the school are desirable for future projects when funds are available. This project is not just an example of meeting the needs of today’s students; it demonstrates how a worldwide ex-pat community can work together with local people to bring about real change in the future. It is also an example of how a relatively small amount of money can make a life-changing difference in the Togolese community.
