The NGO Association Togolaise des Volontaires au Travail (ASTOVOT) has more than 60 years of experience in international voluntary service. Each year, it welcomes many volunteers from all over the world on short, medium and long term volunteer projects (3 weeks to 12 months) in Togo. These projects allow the national volunteers (about 200) to work hand in hand with the international volunteers and to create a real intercultural exchange throughout the year. ASTOVOT is a member of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVSUNESCO) and of the Network of Africa Voluntary Organizations (NAVO), and is in partnership with several volunteer organizations in Europe, Asia, the United States, Canada and Africa. Its projects focus on community development through the promotion of education and citizenship, health, social, environmental protection and intercultural learning, renovation and construction of socio-community infrastructures.
İş Tanımı
In the village of Gapé-Avélébé, as in most of the landlocked villages of Togo, sanitary and hygienic conditions are considerably below standard. In the absence of latrines, local people are forced to defecate in the open air and in the bush. This exposes them to parasitic diseases and bites from reptiles such as snakes.
At the request of the Village Development Committee (VDC), ASTOVOT proposed to initiate the construction of ECOSAN latrines in a participatory and inclusive approach with the local village authorities. The aim of the camp is to make at least two ECOSAN latrine cubicles available to the local population of the village, to help improve the village's sanitation system.
OBJECTIVES?
-To improve the sanitary conditions of villagers
As part of this project, the village will provide volunteers with materials such as sand, gravel and water, as well as manpower if required. This is their contribution to the project. ASTOVOT and its volunteers will in turn provide cement, sheet metal, pipes, carpentry, manpower and other materials.
-Identification of locations for the construction of Ecosan latrines;
-Mobilising the resources needed for the construction work;
-Assist the mason and carpenter in the construction of the latrines;
Organisation of awareness-raising sessions on the maintenance of Ecosan latrines and the use of its composts;
-Organising the handover ceremony for the Ecosan latrines built in the village;
Konaklama ve Yemek
Accommodation is generally basic, simple and specific to the project location. On site, volunteers are accommodated in groups of three or four people per room. The number of people per room depends on how the volunteers themselves organise the group. In some places, volunteers can use dry toilets and showers without water inside. This means that volunteers will have to fetch water from a fountain or well. The association provides volunteers with plastic or foam mats. Volunteers who have sleeping bags can bring them with them if possible. Access to drinking water on site.
During the work camp, the volunteers will cook their own meals. An internal organisation will create groups that will alternate to carry out the various domestic tasks domestic tasks, including cooking. The food products used for cooking are imported, local and organic. The diet of each volunteer will be taken into taken into account when preparing meals. Volunteers will have access to tropical fruit such as bananas, oranges, pineapples, mangoes, avocados, papayas, etc.
Along side the main activities of the work camp, other activities are organised, such as discovery walks, hikes, festive outings and cultural encounters. These activities enable the volunteers to come into contact with the local population and to discover Togolese culture.
Konum ve Serbest Zaman
Gapé Avélébé is located in the south of Togo, about 75 km from Lomé in the ZIO prefecture, with a population of around 6,000. The area has a single Collège d'Enseignement Général (CEG) for 4 villages: Avélébé Avégan, Lokodopé and Kpévé. It has a savannah-type climate, with an average annual temperature of 27.3°C and rainfall of around 692.3 mm per year, more in summer than in winter. The village's main source of income is agriculture.
Notlar
The NGO ASTOVOT, like all associations in Togo, receives no subsidy from the Togolese government. It is the volunteers' participation fees that enable ASTOVOT to finance its projects. The cost of participation in volunteer work camps is €220 per person for 2 to 3 weeks. This contribution covers: accommodation costs; food; accompaniment of the group; administrative costs; purchase of materials and equipment for the project, and other steps involved in setting up volunteers on the project site. The funds contributed by the volunteers are divided as follows: 3/4 for the organisation of project activities and 1/4 for the administrative management of ASTOVOT.
The languages of the project are French and then English. However, we recommend that volunteers who are not French-speaking have a basic knowledge of French before they arrive, as the official language of Togo is French. The vast majority of local volunteers and local communities have a very poor level of English.
Konuşulan Diller
French
En Yakın Terminal
There is a member of our organisation who is in charge of welcoming volunteers at Lomé airport. He will take care of your accommodation in Lomé. - The price of a taxi between the airport and the bus station or the hotel varies between 6000 and 10000 FCFA (between 9€ and 15€), - Transportation is by bush taxi or a bus that takes you to Kpalimé. The ASTOVOT headquarters is the meeting place for the volunteers and also the starting point for the workcamp. The distance between Lomé-Kpalimé is 121 km and the duration is 1h 45 to 2h drive. The price of a taxi between Lomé and Kpalimé is 3000 FCFA at the parking places (5€). We advise volunteers to pay 5,000 CFA francs for the driver to take you back to the association's headquarters.
