Togo Travel Diary - July 2024

Wednesday, July 24th - Day 15:

A Sunrise Start and Unexpected Adventures:

Rising with the sun, I embarked on a drive to the prison with Anani. It was a morning draped in the hues of routine and yet tinged with the anticipation of the unknown.

We exchanged cheerful hellos with the boys, and I quickly dived into a crucial planning session with Anani inside the prison's stark walls. With Anani juggling family obligations and the upcoming sequence of burials, we mapped out a meticulous schedule for the remainder of my stay. He was tasked with a quirky shopping spree—40 bottles of sodabee for Sophie’s village. Despite the somber undertones, Anani's spirit was high, and he committed to orchestrating the finer details of our project deadlines.

A Candid Conversation with Innocent:

Today's agenda featured a stirring meeting with Innocent—a name that initially puzzled me but turned out to belong to a liaison from Prisons Without Borders. We delved deep into the essence of Togo Esome, exploring our partnership with Inana Textiles and our focused mission on rehabilitation through education. I painted a picture of our current initiatives and voiced our concerns about the deteriorating prison conditions and our desire to eventually broaden our support to include food and hygiene for a wider inmate population.

Innocent shared that his primary role was to aid with nutrition in Vogan, supplementing meals with donations and a prison garden they had initiated. He painted a stark picture of grim conditions across Togo’s prisons—not due to the guards but the systemic flaws deeply ingrained. He reassured us that our efforts at improving life inside wouldn't necessarily inflate inmate numbers, as the facilities were already bursting at the seams.

When asked about his organization's frequency of aid, he mentioned quarterly food deliveries. Open to collaboration, he expressed eagerness to join forces with us, proposing educational programs to teach inmates basic literacy—something he and his colleagues, also educators, could lead.

The conversation ended on a note of hopeful collaboration, and we agreed to keep the channels of communication buzzing with potential plans.

Unforeseen Mechanical Mishaps and Creative Endeavors:

Post-discussion, the day took an unexpected turn. Anani’s car, fondly nicknamed Emil after yesterday’s breakdown, decided to throw us another mechanical curveball halfway to our destination. Fortunately, a kind-hearted mechanic came to our rescue, and after some tinkering, I continued my journey on a moto, wearing Fulli’s helmet, my embarrassment hidden beneath a smile.

At the prison, the atmosphere buzzed with progress. Elias and his crew were prepping, adorned in their bright yellow vests. We checked on the scaffolding—a makeshift structure of old sticks and planks that stood surprisingly sturdy. I ventured into the workshop alone, marveling at the hustle and the swift advances in our project.

Mosaic Dreams and Lunchtime Laughs:

The day crescendoed as I joined Elias in tracing the mosaic design onto the wall, a task that proved both challenging and thrilling. We were interrupted by Anani's sudden need to change the project’s title, adding a dash of spontaneity to our meticulous plans.

Lunch was an unexpected invitation from the soldiers, who shared their beans with delightful hospitality. Eating with my hands, I savored not just the meal but the warm camaraderie that had blossomed within these walls.

As dusk fell, the laughter faded into the background, and I returned to the quiet of my room, the day's vibrant tapestry of events weaving a vivid story in my mind—a story of unexpected turns, shared meals, and collective hopes for a brighter, more inclusive future within the walls of Vogan prison.

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