The way back was just as eventful. We were 30 minutes out of Lome when we encountered an army roadblock that had shut down the highway while the president was participating in a ceremony at a new Chinese agriculture research centre. After one of our crew was yelled at by a soldier type carry a big ugly gun a gun (hey she is American, could he sense a coup ;-) for taking a picture of the traffic we were directed to a small "side road" (would be defined as a dirt bike trail in Canada). Slight problem, 250 cars and motorcycles going off road in competing directions on a trail only wide enough for 1 vehicle! Monstrous grid lock is an understatement - all were stopped in a jungle opening - with much gesturing, yelling, etc. Sat there for 10 minutes then got out of the van and took 2 of our university student support team with me and worked at unravelling the mess. Must have been a hilarious picture, one white guy in a sea of blacks stopping cars and bikes and moving things forward using international gestures for stop, back up, left, right, are you crazy? hurry up, etc. And it worked thanks I guess to good old Canadian logic and determination! Big round of applause when the van caught up with us and we jumped back in. Total travel time on return - 4 hours.
With the delivery of our 5,000 kits our mission is now accomplished. It was a very quiet ride home with much contemplation as the reality that our mission was complete and that we would not have the opportunity, no honour, of meeting any more Togolese / Ewe kids sank in.
Relaxing evening, watched European Cup game with the cook - football is THE sport here - between Real Madrid and Munich, and struggled through internet efforts.
Though at end of day:
My theory after two weeks is it seems that the relative wealth of a Togolese village can be calculated based on the fatness of the chickens and goats running around everywhere. Fat chickens and goats today :-)
Three wise men of Dagninou, At the end of the distribution I saw these three gents sitting about so chose to walk over and have a chat. I liked these guys immediately; cool calm, informed. Speaking in French we talked for about 10 minutes about their village, what we were doing there and elsewhere in Togo, health, sports, etc. It was a pleasure. I would be hanging out with guys like this if I was Togolese.
Messah our driver and our chariot - fittingly a white Hyundai van of uncertain lineage.
Oh oh. Flat tire in the rain. Drat the gods of asphalt! Note the branches on the road. This is the way the Togolese indicate a warning of a problem on the road. Simple but effective. Saw it many times.
Parents waiting for their kids to get their kits. Love the mountains in the background.
Distribution efforts started off in the rain so were using the classrooms ond overhangs for distribution. About 30 minutes in the rain relented and we moved back outside .
All of our local volunteers. What a dedicated, wonderful, and compassionate crew. We could not in an any way succeeded without their support.
A future queen! What a cutie - she had just started to walk :-)
Me and my posse! I was working the handing out of the kits for most of the distributions and these wonderful ladies were my right arm - bringing the kit out of storage and down to my distribution post. Lots of laughs and hugs on the last day and for a matter of fact , , , every morning when we first met. :-)
Apparently the village mascot! He ended up in the background of several of the official photos.
This my friends is why we did what we did and went through what we went through. The kids will be missed.
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