Togolais diaries......contd

map and location of Togo

Le 30^th Mars, 2009

Bonjour

Today’s highlights were mainly my interaction with Ismael, MCP Aiesec in Togo and our discussions regarding his N.G.O. REJED( Ressaeau des jeunes pour les Developpement) which basically means Youth for Development network. The N.G.O. deals with projects dealing with poverty alleviation. They run a child sponsorship programme, a youth civic participation programme. The N.G.O. even works with UNDP as well as the World Bank as Ismael has contacts with the resource person at the WB office. They are planning to conduct a workshop for all the NGO to be conducted by UNDP regarding efficiency in internal administrative and financial policy and also they are embarking on a Millennium Development Village programme where they envisage to work with a few villages initially to make sure that they realize the MDG’s! So the scope of work looks great and hopefully things should materialize soon enough.

Another highlight was my meeting with Madame Sylvia who works for the World Bank in Togo. Apparently WB had suspended their funding in Togo as Togo was one of the major defaulters in the repayment obligations. This year they have resumed their operations in Togo presumably after the EU too decided to resume its funding in Togo last year which was suspended in 1993 due to lack of democracy in the country. This was a great opportunity for me to ask various functions on the working of the oft-criticized bank and she did give many insightful answers even though she was disappointingly unaware of the WB poverty line as well as the political situation existing in the continent. Even then it was a great opportunity and I was happy that I was able to make good use of it.

There was nothing much apart from this which happened and on the whole the day was a good one with some insightful discussions.

P.S. I need to do something about my French. I just cant understand what people say here when they talk to each other. So no eavesdropping for me though when they do talk to me they try to make efforts to parle en Angle and slowly in French, so as of now I am managing just fine!

Also for all those who think that Tata's achievement in bringing out the Nano isn't much of a big deal then think again because people are aware about the Nano here too and are astonished to hear its price!!

As I write this, it is 12 in the night and 5: 30 Indian time, so bon nuit people!!