The West African nation of Togo is grappling with severe food insecurity, and the lives of Togolese children in poverty are under threat. Food prices have risen rapidly and, in desperation, many caregivers have no choice but to sell their assets to provide the family’s next meal, only to purchase less food for more money.
The local church in Togo has been leading a response to the global food crisis that has seen many children recover from malnutrition through the provision of food packs. Our local church partners are currently focusing on increasing the income of caregivers through livelihood training, so they are best equipped to provide for their families.
Watch the latest video update below from our church partners in Togo to learn more.
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Thank you for praying for the children, families and local church partners we serve in Togo.
Esaïe is 17 years old, and he lives with his parents and siblings in a village in Aneho, Togo. In 2015, Esaïe received a gift of 17,335 francs—equivalent to approximately 30 US dollars—from his sponsor. With this money, his mother decided to fulfill Esaïe’s childhood dream. “Since childhood, I had the desire to raise goats, but my mother never had the financial resources to set up the project for me,” says Esaïe. Read more open_in_new
Compassion’s program is contextualised across countries and communities, as well as age groups.
Compassion assisted children in Togo typically attend program activities at their local child development centre on Saturdays. Here is an example of what a typical program day looks like for children in Togo.
9:00am - A time of prayer and devotion.
9:30am - Spiritual lessons where children sing songs and learn Bible stories.
10:30am - Break time where children can play in a safe environment and develop friendships.
11:00am - Social-emotional lessons from conflict resolution to developing healthy self-esteem and a godly character. Children often come from challenging home environments and are taught social and personal skills.
12:00pm - Lunch and social time. Children in Togo are generally given breakfast and a meal each day they come to the centre. There are some critical situations where children from extremely poor families are given more food to take home. A typical meal consists of rice or pasta with fish or meat.
1:00pm - Health lessons where children are taught practical health and hygiene tips. Example topics include how to prevent malaria and HIV.
2:00pm - Letter writing and career planning. Older children work with local staff to identify their strengths and interests, and set goals for their future.
In addition to Compassion’s curriculum, children have opportunities to participate in activities such as learning musical instruments, choreography, choir, art, football and puzzles. Parents and caregivers are offered parenting classes.
of people live in extreme poverty
mothers die from pregnancy related causes per 100,000 births
of children under 5 are experiencing stunted growth
The West African nation of Togo is home to beautiful beaches, sacred forest and bustling markets. The nation is prone to experiencing extreme weather events and disease epidemics, both of which have a devastating effect on livelihoods and access to food, education and healthcare.
Poverty is a huge issue throughout Togo, particularly in rural communities, and the majority of households live below the poverty line. The nation was granted independence in 1960 after decades of colonisation, first by Germany and then, following World War I, by Britain and France. Shortly after, Gnassingbé Eyadéma seized power in a bloodless coup and ruled for almost 40 years.
Throughout that time, Togo has struggled with issues of poverty. Poor sanitation facilities and a general inaccessibility to safe drinking water, along with a lack of access to good medical care, particularly in rural areas, have cost many lives and held back the nation’s development.
This has a significant impact on children. Without other options, many are forced into prostitution or child labour, which can interfere with schooling and expose children to dangerous situations. Sadly, 35.7 per cent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labour. Forced child labour occurs in the agricultural sector—particularly on coffee, cocoa, and cotton farms—as well as in stone and sand quarries. Children from rural areas are brought to the capital, Lomé, and forced to work as domestic servants, roadside vendors and porters, or exploited in prostitution.
Through much of the past few years, the nation has been caught up in a protracted political disagreement between President Faure Gnassingbé Eyadéma and opposition parties, who demanded he place limits on how many terms a president can serve — and step down. President Eyadéma was elected in 2005 following the death of his father, former President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, and each of his subsequent electoral victories (in 2010, 2015 and 2020) has been met with opposition protest and claims of vote-rigging; yet the elections have been declared free and fair by independent observers.
In Togo, prolonged droughts and disease epidemics have had a devastating effect on livelihoods and access to food. The struggles of hunger are not new for families living in Togo, but the global food crisis pushed food insecurity to devastating and unprecedented levels. Many children are suffering from malnutrition. According to the World Health Organisation, 22.3 per cent of children under 5 are experiencing stunted growth.
Yet our local church partners are working to care for children holistically and break down barriers so they can lead full and flourishing lives.
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